Apple’s $3,499 (roughly $4,767 CAD) Vision Pro is slated to be released in the United States in early 2024.
However, the Cupertino-based tech giant might also be working on a more affordable alternative to the Vision Pro, as shared by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
According to the report, the company might sacrifice some of the Vision Pro’s features, to repackage it as a cheaper alternative. This could involve using fewer cameras, an iPhone processor instead of a Mac one, and lower-resolution screens. The most notable change, however, could be the removal of the EyeSight feature, which essentially projects the user’s eyes onto an external OLED display, allowing others to see where they are looking.
The feature creates more natural interactions, though it isn’t essential for the core functionality of the Vision Pro, and dropping it could help Apple release a cheaper version of the Vision Pro.
According to internal discussions, Apple is aiming for the cheaper Vision Pro to cost between $1,500 and $2,500 (roughly $2,000 CAD and $3,400 CAD).
In addition to the cheaper alternative, Gurman also talked about a 2nd-gen version of the Vision Pro. The new AR/VR headset will reportedly weigh less than the original Vision Pro, and offer built-in prescription lenses.
It’s worth noting that Apple hasn’t officially confirmed any details about the Vision Pro 2 or a cheaper alternative, which might be called the Vision Pro SE. However, Gurman has a reliable track record of reporting on Apple’s plans and products, so it’s likely this rumour will come true sooner or later, barring any internal changes.
Source: Bloomberg
