Apple is probably no longer interested in working on a new high-end Vision headset amid slowing sales of the first Vision Pro model. Instead, Apple is apparently looking for ways to reduce the cost of components for the first model and is working on a cheaper Vision headset that it plans to release by the end of 2025.
The first version of the Vision Pro was released earlier this year, and while it is a very good virtual reality headset, it has many of the drawbacks that many other such headsets have. It’s also expensive – the price starts at $3499. And it is also quite heavy.
Apple is trying to address some of these shortcomings by developing a new, cheaper version of the Vision headset, currently codenamed N109. In this device, the company aims to keep the high-resolution displays that make the Vision Pro stand out, but removes some features and makes it «at least a third lighter than the». Apple wants to offer a cheaper version of the headset at a price that matches the price of a high-end iPhone. Last October, Bloomberg reported that Apple was aiming for a price between $1500 and $2500. However, the company has had trouble cutting costs without sacrificing features, so a cheaper headset may not reach this goal until 2025.
At the same time, Apple continues to make efforts to promote Vision Pro. The company plans to start international sales of the headset in late June and add several new features to visionOS 2 this fall.
Source: The Verge