**Who is replacing Paul Meade at Apple?**

Fletcher Rothkopf, Meade's deputy, will take over management of Apple's Vision Products Group following Meade's departure. Meade is expected to exit Apple by next week, according to a Bloomberg report cited by Investing.com. Neither Apple nor OpenAI has officially commented on the leadership change.

**How much did OpenAI pay for Jony Ive's hardware startup?**

OpenAI acquired the AI hardware startup founded by Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey for $6.5 billion. The deal was described as OpenAI quietly absorbing the company. Paul Meade is now joining that same hardware group at OpenAI, where he is tasked with developing a new family of AI-native devices.

**Is Apple still making a Vision Pro 2?**

No. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the second-generation Vision Pro has been removed from Apple's roadmap entirely. The lighter Vision Air headset was also canceled. Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus personally approved the cuts. The only XR products remaining on Apple's roadmap are display-free smart glasses planned for 2027 and AR glasses with optical waveguide displays slipped to 2029.

**When will Apple release its smart glasses?**

Apple's display-free AI smart glasses — a camera-and-speakers product in the category Meta built with Ray-Ban — remain on track for a 2027 launch, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's report as covered by VR.org. A more advanced AR device with optical waveguide displays has slipped to 2029. Both are glasses, not headsets.

**How long did Paul Meade work on Vision Pro hardware at Apple?**

Paul Meade led Vision Pro hardware engineering for seven years at Apple, holding the title of Vice President of hardware engineering. He was promoted to that VP role in 2022, as reported by Hindustan Times, specifically to lead development of Apple's augmented-reality headset. He was also actively steering the display-free smart glasses project before his departure.

Apple Vision Pro Chief Joins OpenAI Hardware Team

By iCharles News · June 26, 2026

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Apple's Vision Pro hardware VP Paul Meade is departing for OpenAI, where he'll lead AI device development — joining Jony Ive and other Apple design alumni already there.

Apple Vision Pro Chief Joins OpenAI Hardware Team

Who is Paul Meade, and why does his departure matter?

Paul Meade is Apple's Vice President of hardware engineering, the executive who led Vision Pro hardware development for seven years. He was also actively steering Apple's display-free smart glasses project, planned to rival Meta. According to Investing.com, citing Bloomberg, Meade will exit Apple by next week.

His departure leaves a significant gap in Apple's Vision Products Group. His deputy, Fletcher Rothkopf, will step in to manage the team.

Where is Paul Meade going?

Meade is joining OpenAI to lead its hardware division. His task is to bring a new family of AI-native devices to market. Neither Apple nor OpenAI has officially commented on the move, per Investing.com.

Who else from Apple is already at OpenAI?

Meade is not the first Apple hardware veteran to land at OpenAI. Design legends Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey made the move before him. Their AI hardware startup was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion, according to Investing.com.

Here's what we know so far about the Apple-to-OpenAI talent pipeline:

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Jony Ive — former Apple Chief Design Officer
Tang Tan — Apple design veteran
Evans Hankey — former Apple VP of Industrial Design
Paul Meade — Apple VP of Vision Pro hardware engineering (departing by next week)

What is happening to Apple's Vision Pro roadmap?

Apple's XR roadmap is shrinking sharply. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities published a report stating the roadmap assembled roughly a year ago is, in his words, "no longer a useful reference." VR.org reports that incoming CEO John Ternus personally approved the cuts.

What got cut and what survived:

Product	Status
Vision Pro (2nd generation)	Canceled
Vision Air (lighter, cheaper headset)	Canceled
Display-free AI smart glasses	On track for 2027
AR glasses with optical waveguide displays	Slipped to 2029

Every headset with a head strap is gone. Two glasses products remain.

Why did Apple cancel its headset lineup?

The sources point to market data. Smart glasses are outselling VR and MR headsets three to one, according to VR.org. Nearly all of the XR category's 44 percent shipment growth in 2025 came from glasses. Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro undershot expectations at launch and again with its M5 refresh. Meta sold Ray-Ban smart glasses by the millions at a fraction of the price.

Ternus's decision follows two independent reporting tracks. Mark Gurman reported the next Vision Pro was at least two years out and that the N100 successor project had been shelved. Kuo's report, per VR.org, closes the loop: there is no next Vision headset in development at Apple.

What does this mean for current Vision Pro owners and enterprise buyers?

Apple is not pulling the Vision Pro from shelves. Software support appears solid through 2028 or 2029, according to VR.org. The M5 model is now the final hardware generation.

For enterprise buyers — hospitals, training departments, field service operations — VR.org's guidance is direct: buy the Vision Pro for what it does today, on a depreciation schedule that treats the current hardware as the last one. There is no successor to wait for.

The Meta smart glasses category, meanwhile, continues to expand as the dominant XR form factor.

How does Paul Meade's background fit OpenAI's hardware ambitions?

Meade spent seven years building the Vision Pro's hardware and was leading Apple's smart glasses project before his departure. OpenAI is now assembling a hardware team that includes multiple architects of Apple's most ambitious device work. The OpenAI Codex platform signals OpenAI's broader push into AI-native products beyond software.

The Hindustan Times reported in 2022 that Meade was promoted to VP of hardware engineering specifically to lead development of Apple's future augmented-reality headset — a role he held until this departure.

The AI jobs landscape is shifting fast as companies like OpenAI compete for hardware talent that can build physical AI devices, not just software.

Apple's display-free smart glasses remain on track for a 2027 launch, now without the executive who was steering them.

Frequently asked questions

**Who is replacing Paul Meade at Apple?**: Fletcher Rothkopf, Meade's deputy, will take over management of Apple's Vision Products Group following Meade's departure. Meade is expected to exit Apple by next week, according to a Bloomberg report cited by Investing.com. Neither Apple nor OpenAI has officially commented on the leadership change.
**How much did OpenAI pay for Jony Ive's hardware startup?**: OpenAI acquired the AI hardware startup founded by Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey for $6.5 billion. The deal was described as OpenAI quietly absorbing the company. Paul Meade is now joining that same hardware group at OpenAI, where he is tasked with developing a new family of AI-native devices.
**Is Apple still making a Vision Pro 2?**: No. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the second-generation Vision Pro has been removed from Apple's roadmap entirely. The lighter Vision Air headset was also canceled. Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus personally approved the cuts. The only XR products remaining on Apple's roadmap are display-free smart glasses planned for 2027 and AR glasses with optical waveguide displays slipped to 2029.
**When will Apple release its smart glasses?**: Apple's display-free AI smart glasses — a camera-and-speakers product in the category Meta built with Ray-Ban — remain on track for a 2027 launch, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's report as covered by VR.org. A more advanced AR device with optical waveguide displays has slipped to 2029. Both are glasses, not headsets.
**How long did Paul Meade work on Vision Pro hardware at Apple?**: Paul Meade led Vision Pro hardware engineering for seven years at Apple, holding the title of Vice President of hardware engineering. He was promoted to that VP role in 2022, as reported by Hindustan Times, specifically to lead development of Apple's augmented-reality headset. He was also actively steering the display-free smart glasses project before his departure.

Verified claims

Each key claim below was checked against its source — the exact supporting passage is quoted so you can confirm it yourself.

Smart glasses are outselling VR and MR headsets three to one.

three to one
Verified vr.org
Nearly all of the XR category's 44 percent shipment growth in 2025 came from glasses.

44 percent shipment growth in 2025
Verified vr.org
Apple Vision Pro software support appears solid through 2028 or 2029.

2028 or 2029
Verified vr.org

Sources

Investing.com, citing Bloomberg investing.com
VR.org reports vr.org
reported in 2022 tech.hindustantimes.com

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