Apple Gearing Up for Launch of Vision Pro Developer Kits

by

Apple is gearing up to provide developers with resources to create apps and experiences for the Apple Vision Pro headset, and yesterday, the company pushed out new backend assets for the Vision Pro.

apple vision pro
Code for updating the battery pack that powers the Vision Pro has been introduced, along with other visionOS assets needed for test versions of the device. Apple appears to have three different model numbers for Vision Pro batteries, including A2781, A2988, and A2697. It is not clear why there are three separate numbers when Apple has only announced two-hour battery life for the device, but there could be multiple battery packs in development or there could be additional battery options that will be used solely in Apple Stores for testing.

The code additions come ahead of when Apple plans to introduce development kits to select developers. Apple on its developer website says that it plans to introduce ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ developer kits and other developer tools starting in July, and there are less than two weeks left in the month.


Developer kits will help developers bring their creations to life directly on Vision Pro, according to Apple, providing the tools to quickly build, iterate, and test apps. Developers will be able to apply to get a kit.

Apple last offered a developer kit ahead of the launch of Apple silicon chips in 2020. Apple provided developers with a Mac mini that had an A-series chip so that developers could transition from Intel to Apple silicon. The ‌Mac mini‌ machines were priced at $500, and the Apple Developer Kits will also likely require a payment from developers.

Along with ‌‌Apple Vision Pro‌‌ developer kits, Apple says that it will offer ‌‌Apple Vision Pro‌‌ compatibility evaluations for existing apps and opportunities for developers to visit a Vision Pro developer lab that provides demonstrations of ‌visionOS‌, iPadOS, and iOS apps running on the headset. Labs will be available in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Apple previously released the first visionOS beta in June, and Unity earlier this week released beta versions of Vision Pro game development tools. Apple is partnering with Unity on the "PolySpatial" development platform for visionOS that will allow developers to create and port 3D experiences to the Vision Pro headset.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Read Full Article • 72 comments
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Read Full Article • 54 comments
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Read Full Article • 71 comments
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...
Read Full Article • 50 comments

Top Rated Comments

FipsAlfredsson Avatar
FipsAlfredsson
33 months ago
I am a bit astonished at the negative views here on that groundbreaking device.

This is going to be a game changer. Instead of a virtual reality a la Meta that nobody wants this thing augments the real world. The possibilities are immense.

For example, I am a scientist and this instrument offers unprecedented research possibilities. So much so that I am writing grants to get funding to buy some and hire developers. From research perspective, this headset is a steal in terms of costs.

Imagine using something like in people that have cognitive deficits. An advanced lighter and more portable version of this could help people in various ways in their daily lives.

After a couple of years there will be consumer prices versions of this that are really portable. And even at a 1500 dollars price point, I believe it would be a good price. If you don’t want a computer monitor this might be the best screen you could buy.

My prediction is that in a decade it will be a commonplace gadget. And it will not be long that Samsung et al jump ok the bandwagon.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsplusmacs Avatar
macsplusmacs
33 months ago

That image certainly shows how for some people you need to tie up your hair to wear a Vision pro.
I'll just shave my head.

No fuss. No muss!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
TheYayAreaLiving ?️
33 months ago

It looks huge in that picture. Reminds me of the 1st chunky iPad that went very slim on the 2nd generation. I hope they get it much smaller and lighter for next gen.
It’s going to look immense!

[MEDIA=twitter]1682081253544316928[/MEDIA]
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiensoy Avatar
kiensoy
33 months ago
It looks huge in that picture. Reminds me of the 1st chunky iPad that went very slim on the 2nd generation. I hope they get it much smaller and lighter for next gen.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FipsAlfredsson Avatar
FipsAlfredsson
33 months ago

The benefit will be immersion and memories.

For many people, simply being able to relive a key event like say, their child's birthday, would be reason enough to get one. You are getting a degree of realism not possible with photos or even professionally-produced footage.

I agree. This headset seems to be exceptionally good at eye tracking, so much so that it can replace commercial eye trackers people use in labs, which require people to sit on a chair in the best case, and in the worst case being on a chair AND putting their head on a chinrest during the entire experience. These instruments cost way more than one AVP.

And thanks to this feature, the system is capable of recording in 3D mind you what you are presently looking at. I don't think that anything like this is available in another product at this price point, or at all.

Focusing on what the system yet is not seems to ignore the framework it introduces. The first iPHone was very limited, but the framework was the grounbreaking aspect -- a device the size of a cell phone ONLY consisting of a touch screen and showing a clever interface to use fingers to interact with something like this in a completely novel way. I think this was one of the major conceptual aspects that made it back then clear to me this will be the future. I have the same feeling now about the AVP. The framework is exceptional -- control with you eyes and your hands, not huge controllers, and working with the real world at the same time. Size, weight, battery life, etc etc, these are all peripheral problems that will be solved over time. What counts is the concept, and that is just again very clever.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swamusic Avatar
swamusic
33 months ago
Compared to the Valve Index, this is thin and will only get thinner over time. Very much looking forward to replacing all my monitors with this.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments