Apple has officially announced and opened preorders for the new M5 Apple Vision Pro and its included Dual Knit Band.
The original Apple Vision Pro was powered by the 5nm M2 chip from 2022, and the brand new M5 chip is built on a 3nm process.
Apple describes the chipset’s improved CPU as delivering “faster load times for apps and widgets and more responsive web browsing”, while the GPU renders at 10% higher resolution by default, supports 120Hz refresh rate “for reduced motion blur when users look at their physical surroundings”, and brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading.
The new Vision Pro’s 120Hz mode will be supported in Mac Virtual Display, the company confirms, for “an even smoother experience”.
Meanwhile, M5’s improved Neural Engine makes AI features like setting up your Persona or generating Spatial Scenes 50% faster, Apple says, and AI tasks in third-party apps up to 2x faster.
The new Vision Pro has a stated battery life of up to 2.5 hours of general use or 3 hours of video playback, 30 minutes longer than what Apple rated the original. Given that the battery is the same, this suggests Apple has configured the M5 chip for balanced efficiency, rather than maximum performance.
Mac Virtual Display supports the new Vision Pro’s 120Hz refresh rate mode.
While the original Apple Vision Pro came with two straps in the box, the pre-attached stretchable 3D-knitted Solo Knit Band, without top support, and the optional more traditional Dual Loop Band with top support, the M5 Vision Pro comes with a single Dual Knit Band, combining the benefits of both.
The Dual Knit Band’s upper and lower strap sections are 3D-knitted as a single piece and are separately adjusted with the single dial, which pops out. It comes in small, medium, and large sizes, like the previous bands.
The band’s embedded inserts are tungsten, which is more than twice as dense as the stainless steel of the Solo Knit Band, providing a greater counterbalance to the weight of the headset itself. In fact, the Dual Loop Band is 150 grams heavier than the Solo Knit Band, Apple’s specs suggest.
The Dual Knit Band is also compatible with the original Apple Vision Pro as a $99 accessory, which you can preorder now for shipping next week.
Apple’s Dual Knit Band for Vision Pro headsets.
The M5 Apple Vision Pro is available to preorder now in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE. It will be available to preorder in Singapore and China from Friday, and available in South Korea and Taiwan “later”.
The original Vision Pro is no longer available, and the new model is priced identically: $3500 for the 256GB storage option, $3700 for 512GB, or $3900 for 1TB. There is currently no trade-in offer for the original.
Preorders should arrive from next Wednesday, October 22, when the new headset will also be available in Apple Stores.
As with the original Vision Pro, prescription inserts from ZEISS are priced at $150, and the official travel case is $200. It’s also compatible with the same accessories as the original, as it has the same physical design.
PS VR2 Sense Controllers Will Be Sold By Apple For $250 Next Month
The PS VR2 Sense Controllers will be sold by Apple from next month for use with Vision Pro headsets, priced at $250 with the charging stand included.
In addition to the new headset, Apple also opened preorders for the Logitech Muse spatial stylus, and announced that it will sell the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers from November 11.
