Apple's cheaper AR/VR headset could feature the EyeSight external display and offer hand and eye tracking features found on the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro will be available for purchase in the US next year
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple Vision Pro was unveiled last week at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, but the company is reportedly already at work on a successor. Months before customers will be able to purchase Apple's first AR/VR spatial computer, the firm is also said to be working on a more affordable version of the Apple Vision Pro headset that could arrive a year after the first-generation device goes on sale. The successor to the Vision Pro is tipped to feature a faster processor that offers improved performance.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states in his weekly Power On newsletter that the Cupertino company is working on a successor to the Apple Vision Pro. The second-generation spatial computer is said to feature augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities, like the newly announced mixed reality headset.
Meanwhile, Gurman reiterates his earlier claim that Apple is still working on a more affordable version of its first-generation AR/VR spatial computer, with the company looking to launch the device by the end of 2025. The device could be called Apple Vision One, or even a simple Apple Vision — given that the high-end model is called the Apple Vision Pro, he states in the newsletter.
The Apple Vision Pro will go on sale in the US next year, priced at $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2,88,500) which makes it the company's most expensive wearable device to date. The cheaper version of the headset is expected to be "several hundred dollars" lower than the first-generation headset, but Gurman does not provide a specific price point.
In order to lower the price of the headset, the cheaper model could use a less powerful processor, fewer cameras and sensors, and deliver spatial audio through AirPods instead of the headset, Gurman speculates. He adds that it could "probably use lower quality screens". The resolution of the displays for the recently announced device is higher than 4K for each eye.
While Apple would need to cut some corners to lower the price of the purported mixed reality headset, Gurman says that a cheaper Apple Vision is unlikely to "compromise" on EyeSight, the external display that shows a wearer's eyes. The headset is also expected to retain hand and eye tracking features that were shown off during the WWDC 2023 keynote event.
Gurman says that by taking other decisions to lower the price, such as a more basic design for the headband, dropping the 3D camera, using a cheaper frame, and optimising its production process, Apple could "knock several hundred dollars" off the price of the headset. However, it is worth noting that Apple is yet to provide the complete hardware specifications of the first-generation Vision Pro headset, so it could be a while before details of its successor are revealed.
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