Apple has updated the Vision Pro with M5 chip and a Dual Knit band

Apple’s next-generation Vision Pro headset has just been announced. Interestingly enough, this announcement came just hours after Samsung put out an invite to unveil its own Android XR headset codenamed "Project Moohan" on October 21. Anyway, the Apple Vision Pro brings the M5 chip and some comfort-focused upgrades, so let's take a closer look at it, alongside its expected price in Nepal.

Apple M5 Vision Pro Overview

Design and build

The M5 Vision Pro looks a bit different with the new Dual Knit band. It was most likely designed in partnership with "ResMed", the same company that made the "Kontor" head strap for the original Vision Pro, which reportedly delivered a more comfortable wearing experience. Apple says this new Dual Knit Band is more comfortable by balancing Vision Pro's weight more evenly and also by letting users make fine-tuned adjustments according to their needs. And as you can see, it's a clear hybrid between the "Solo Knitted Band" and the "Dual Loop Band" that we got on the original Vision Pro. Although you can buy the Dual Knit Band for your existing Vision Pro for USD 99 as well. We think Apple must be pretty confident with the improved comfort of the Dual Knit because it's actually 25% heavier now. Weighing 750 – 800 grams, depending on the head band configuration. And no, that doesn't mean the M5 Vision Pro has a built-in battery either, because you're still gonna have to carry its external battery pack that weighs around 353 grams. At least we get to see a minor improvement in terms of the battery life itself. The headset can last half an hour more (up to 2.5 hours) in normal usage. Whereas Apple also claims the upgraded Vision Pro has 3 hours of video playback versus 2.5 hours on its predecessor. Charging is handled by the 40W dynamic power adapter that Apple provides in the box, along with a USB-C cable and a polishing cloth.

Display

The display side of things doesn't see many changes this time. It's got the same custom micro-OLED display with 23 million pixels and 92% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The only difference is that it now supports a 120Hz refresh rate as well—on top of 90Hz, 96Hz, and 100Hz. And like the previous model, it can automatically adjust the IPD (Interpupillary Distance) to align with your pupils. You may also like:

• Ray-Ban Meta glasses (Gen 2) launched with an upgraded camera and battery
• Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch launched with the latest M5 chip

Upgraded M5 chip

But the biggest highlight of the new Vision Pro is definitely its M5 chip. It brings a major performance jump over the M2 chip on the first-gen Vision Pro, with Apple claiming a 50% faster Neural Engine for AI-powered features. Alongside up to 2x faster experience on some third-party apps. The M5 chip also allows the new Vision Pro to render 10% more pixels for sharper text and visuals. This 10-core CPU + 10-core GPU chip has been paired with the same Apple R1 chip that processes input from all the built-in cameras, microphones, and other sensors. Unfortunately, the storage option still starts at 256GB for such an expensive product. Some rumors suggest that Apple is also working on smart glasses with no display that are meant to be paired with iPhones. Along with another pair of goggles with a built-in display, which will compete with Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. So it seems Apple clearly has some focus on coming up with more affordable wearables than the Vision Pro.

visionOS 26 

And of course, the M5 Vision Pro runs on the all-new visionOS 26. Besides the Apple Intelligence features like ChatGPT access, Image Playground, et cetera, we are particularly intrigued by its new feature that lets you place widgets onto a physical space around you. What's impressive about it is that the widgets stay right where you kept them the next time you dive into the Vision Pro as well. Then there's the "Spatial scenes" feature that can add fairly convincing depth to 2D images for a more immersive viewing experience. And in case you didn't know, you can take spatial photos and videos from your iPhone and view them through the headset. Provided that you're shooting from:

• iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max

Apple has even updated its Safari web browser for spatial browsing. The user's "Persona" also gets a much-needed update that makes you look more realistic with more accurate hair, lashes, and complexions. You can also use the M5 Vision Pro to watch movies or play spatial games together with other Vision Pro users nearby. And talking about games, visionOS 26 even brings support for Sony's PlayStation VR2 Sense Controllers to really make the most out of the Vision Pro by letting you play different motion-tracking games.

Apple M5 Vision Pro Specifications:

• Weight: 750 – 800 grams (depending on Light Seal and head band configuration)
• Display: Custom micro-OLED panel with 23 million pixels, 92% DCI-P3, Up to 120Hz refresh rate
• Performance: Apple M5 chip (3nm), Apple R1 chip
• Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
• Operating System (OS): visionOS 26
• Sensors: 2x high-resolution main camera, 6x world-facing tracking cameras, 4x eye-tracking cameras, TruDepth camera, LiDAR scanner, 4x IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units), Flicker sensor, Ambient Light sensor
• Audio: Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Six-mic array
• Battery: Up to 2.5 hours in general use, Up to 3 hours of video playback
• Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

Apple M5 Vision Pro Price in Nepal and Availability

As for the price, the M5 Vision Pro costs the same as its predecessor, with a starting price of USD 3,499 for the 256GB model. The 512GB and 1TB variants fetch USD 200 and USD 400 more. We're pretty sure this thing won't come to Nepal via official channels, but we do expect to see the Apple M5 Vision Pro pop up in Nepal via unauthorized sellers at a starting price of around NPR 640,000.

• In the meantime, check out our Apple Vision Pro review