October 14, 2024 – According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is still planning to introduce a lower-end Apple Vision headset priced at around $2,000, potentially launching as early as next year.
Earlier this year, Apple unveiled the Apple Vision Pro at a price point of $3,499. Previous reports suggested that Apple had halted the development of the Vision Pro to focus on a more affordable headset, and this appears to still be the case. This shift in focus could be attributed to the high cost of the Vision Pro, which may have made spatial computing inaccessible to many.
Gurman indicates that the lower-end headset might feature a less powerful processor and cheaper materials. Currently, the Vision Pro is equipped with an M2 chip. Therefore, it is speculated that Apple may opt for an A-series chipset, such as the A18 Pro, which offers comparable performance to the M1, for its more budget-friendly option. In terms of materials, the use of more plastic components, instead of an all-aluminum and glass design, is expected.
The report also mentions that this headset could forgo Apple’s EyeSight feature found on the Vision Pro. EyeSight utilizes a cylindrical lens display to transmit the user’s eye image outside the headset, allowing those around them to still “see” their eyes.
It is reported that Apple anticipates the sales of the cheaper Apple Vision headset to be twice that of the Apple Vision Pro. Furthermore, the Apple Vision Pro 2 is slated for a 2026 release, equipped with an even faster chipset.