The Apple Vision Pro was unveiled at WWDC 2023 last week, and we’ve previously heard that Apple was also working on a cheaper version of the device and a host of other AR and VR devices. The new Apple VR and AR headset will be sold at $3,500 when it goes on sale, and the high price is expected to keep many people away from buying it, and the device comes with a bunch of high-end components that make it expensive to produce.
According to a recent report, a cheaper Apple Vision headset will be released in 2025, and the news comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter, the next generation of AR/VR headsets could be more affordable.
The Vision Pro’s three most expensive components are the camera and sensor array, Apple’s dual silicon chips and dual 4K micro-OLED virtual reality displays. For the non-pro model, Apple may be using lower quality screens, either an iPhone chip or an older Mac chip, and fewer cameras for lower performance.
Apple is also likely to get away with a simpler headband design, require AirPods for spatial audio instead of a bar with speakers in the Vision Pro, and move to a physical versus automatic IPD — the distance between the pupils of an eye — tweak and remove features like the 3D camera. Combined with a more refined production process, economies of scale and a cheaper frame, I imagine Apple could bring the price down by several hundred dollars.
But there are some areas where I think Apple wouldn’t compromise on a cheaper Apple Vision. The external display, known as EyeSight, to show the wearer’s eyes, along with an eye and hand tracking system, is the core of Apple Vision as the iPhone’s touchscreen. I would expect a cheaper model to keep these features.
Once we have some details on exactly when Apple plans to release the cheaper Apple Vision AR headset, we’ll let you know. The $3,500 Apple Vision Pro will go on sale sometime in early 2024.
Source: Bloomberg
Filed under: Apple, Top News
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