Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has hinted that Apple is already developing a more affordable version, which may be released within a few years. The speculated names for this cheaper device include “Apple Vision” or “Apple Vision One”.
The affordable variant would likely incorporate cost-cutting measures such as the use of lower-quality screens, older or iPhone-grade chips, fewer cameras, and a simpler headband design. Other modifications might include manual instead of automatic adjustment for interpupillary distance (IPD) and the removal of some high-end features like the 3D camera. Despite these changes, Apple is likely to retain essential features like the external EyeSight screen and eye- and hand-tracking systems.
The Display Daily Comment
So, Apple went all-in on the design of the Vision Pro, threw all kinds of technologies at it, made it so that the only way it could really stand out was to be fitted with expensive processors, sensors, and displays. To bring the price down, Apple has to make the same compromises that all other headset vendors have made, the most expensive components of the bill of materials for Vision Pro being the processors and displays, the very two things that make it stand out. That doesn’t sound like much of a game changer for the consumer and puts Apple firmly in position to be yet another headset.
It seems like Mark Zuckerberg was right, Apple didn’t really solve any of the problems associated with headsets, and didn’t defy or bend the laws of physics. It all comes down to expectations that Apple has a marketing challenge and not a product challenge. Again, that doesn’t sound like a much of a game changer either.
