Next Apple headset: Cheaper version to come before Vision Pro 2
Apple has adjusted the planning for its Vision division. According to US media, funds for a Vision Pro 2 are to flow into a cheaper "Vision".
(Image: Apple)
Reorganization measures in Apple's Vision division: According to insiders, Apple is changing the prioritization of several projects in its Spatial Computing division. The main aim is to speed up work on cheaper glasses. This means that a "Vision" (without Pro) could appear before a "Vision Pro 2", which was previously in the works.
A cheaper headset is needed
The prices for entry into the - technically impressive- world of Vision are currently very high. In the USA, customers pay 3499 US dollars plus tax for the entry-level model; in Germany, customers will pay exactly 3999 euros from the start of sales in July. The target group that can afford such a device is correspondingly small. It was therefore already considered a foregone conclusion that Apple wanted to pursue a two-pronged approach - with a more expensive Pro model and a more affordable standard Vision. However, it remained unclear which of the projects was important for the company.
As the Silicon Valley trade journal The Information writes this week, work on the Vision Pro 2 has been postponed for the time being. The reason for this is that the team should explicitly focus on the cheaper version. Work on this apparently started back in 2022 with the internal code name N109. The aim is to achieve a price around that of a more expensive iPhone, i.e. from 1,500 dollars upwards. A completed prototype is reportedly not yet available, but employees are being encouraged to find alternatives to the currently still very expensive Vision Pro hardware and reduce component prices. One supplier has reportedly been told to suspend work on the Vision Pro 2 for the time being.
Apple does not disclose sales figures
It is not yet clear how many Vision Pro models Apple has been able to sell so far. The division is part of the "Other" segment and is therefore not explicitly mentioned in the quarterly figures. There has recently been speculation that Apple has reduced orders for components, with 500,000 Vision Pro models allegedly being built so far - out of a maximum possible 800,000 to 1 million units (according to information from the supply chain).
For those interested in Apple's spatial computing, the reclassification is actually good news: if the price of the new Vision were halved, it could appeal to completely new target groups. The Vision Pro is currently significantly more expensive than other virtual reality headsets such as the Quest 3 from Meta.
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