Apple launches new Vision Pro headset, iPad and Mac with faster chip

Apple has launched updated versions of its Vision Pro headset, as well as a new iPad and MacBook Pro.

The three devices use the new M5 chip, which Apple says is particularly focused on improving performance when doing artificial intelligence work.

It is the first time that Apple’s Vision Pro headset has received an update. The augmented reality headset was announced in summer 2023 and initially released in the US towards the beginning of last year.

The new update takes the headset from being powered by the M2 chip to the new M5. That will improve performance in apps but also allow for better graphics, including the presentation of the real world that can be seen using the built-in cameras and display.

As well as the new chip, Apple said that it would start offering a new band alongside the headset. That “dual knit” band offers a more comfortable fit, it said.

The same M5 chip will also come to a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a new iPad Pro. Apple pointed specifically to the new AI performance of that chip: it offers up to 3.5 times the artificial intelligence performance of the M4 that it replaces, the company said.