Despite the poor sales, Apple has not given up on its premium Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Maybe there's a way—but in the form of releasing a more affordable wearable.
According to prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the firm is developing a second iteration of the headset that will utilize the M5 chip in its next generation. A lower-priced version of the Vision Pro will not be released. The manufacturing for the model has been delayed until after 2027.
Expensive Vision Pro and Limited Use Cases
Today, the Vision Pro goes for as much as $3,499, and many feel the prices are too high, considering Apple has yet to show interesting use cases for the gadget. But if ever a cheaper version launches, there might be a change of heart among fans.
According to Kuo, what is wrong is not necessarily the price but the fact that Apple needs to come up with appealing and solid, real-world applications to invest in such a venture.
He says Apple products normally come with a premium when compared to competition, but this can be done under affordability campaigns as well.
As I understand it, production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed beyond 2027 for a while now. This means Apple's only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 3, 2024
I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper...
To consider, Kuo uses the example of the HomePod mini, where even at the price cut it is dearer in comparison to competitors' prices. In the Vision Pro case, value in terms of differentiation and advantage could perhaps become even more crucial.
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Why an Affordable Vision Pro Is Put on Hold
Initially, Apple had planned to release a more budget-friendly version of the Vision Pro whereas now the new timeline means the firm has changed its approach toward perfecting before opting for cheaper ones, per Mashable. It means more time for Apple to hone and finalize the premium Vision Pro, first shown to developers in June 2023 during the Worldwide Developers Conference.
In other words, people looking for something with an affordability perspective will probably just have to wait for when it looks like Apple's been successful in demonstrating its Vision Pro's appeal across broad and relevant use cases.
Next-Gen Vision Pro
The Vision Pro will carry many upgrades. The most highlighted one would be the M5 chip. Kuo's report follows that of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who also reported Apple is looking to enhance the power of the headset though is not speaking about further technical specifications.
Gurman went ahead and mentioned that Apple is "serious" about launching something along the lines of a product, like smart glasses, to be coupled "tightly" with an iPhone and expand its dominance of augmented reality.
But what if this perfection just makes the product offered by Apple too expensive after all, given that massive players like Meta and several others are expected to pop up with something cheaper? The fixation on perfecting the upgrade version may give the brand an easier pathway to get a foothold in that emerging mixed reality space before it can drop a model that is cheap.
As the company continues to perfect its technology, its potential users might expect such a product to be provided with more practical features at such a premium price attached to the Vision Pro, letting the Cupertino giant have a better ground at becoming the leader within this high-end mixed reality business.
Still, the company cannot make the Vision Pro widely available yet but continues to pursue its improvement. It upset a few in postponing the release of an allegedly cheaper model, and indeed, the strategy displays an actual desire of Apple for the improvements of capabilities of its headset along with cost-effectiveness.
