Apple’s biggest product release in years is quickly approaching, yet the company is already looking at ways to make the Vision Pro more affordable and, in turn, less creepy.
According to Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter, Apple is discussing internally a new Vision Pro within the $1,500 to $2,500 price bracket, a good deal cheaper than the $3,500 of the first-generation product set to be released in early 2024.
Gurman writes, “Earlier this year, I noted that Apple was aiming to bring down the cost by using lower-resolution displays and an iPhone processor rather than a Mac chip. I’m now told that the company is also likely to remove the EyeSight feature”
The EyeSight feature on Vision Pro was met with a lot of skepticism when it was revealed at WWDC 2023 in June, mostly because the outside display shows a virtual recreation of the user’s eyes, minus the soul, of course. By removing the external display, Apple would also be able to remove the external cameras and sensors needed to recreate the eyes.
More to come
Gurman also adds that Apple is not only aiming to bring out a more accessible Vision Pro headset but also a second generation which would continue to use a Mac chip and, as Gurman puts it “will have all the bells and whistles but be smaller and lighter, making it more comfortable to wear.”
Considering the first Vision Pro doesn’t even have a set release date yet and could launch as late as April next year, these updated models might be a few years away.
For most, the $ 3,500 price tag of the first-generation Vision Pro will make the product inaccessible, so hopefully, Apple will be able to bring the product to the mainstream by innovating quickly and reducing production costs so everyone can get a taste of what Apple’s idea of VR and AR looks like.
