Was "dissuaded" by $3,500? Apple has been researching cheaper MR, but it will have to wait until 2025

Author: Zhou Xiaowen

Image source: Generated by Unbounded AI tool

After the release of the $3,499 VisionPro, Apple's "reduced" version of the MR headset may also be on the way.

On Sunday, Bloomberg chief correspondent Mark Gurman said in a report that Apple is working on a cheaper MR headset, which may be called "Vision" or "VisionOne", which echoes VisionPro. **Availability may be in 2026, and release may be as early as late 2025. **

After the VisonPro was released last week, the device's price of up to $3,499 sparked heated discussions in the market. Analysts believe that another industry leader, Meta, has significantly more cost-effective products in the AR field: Meta Quest 2 is priced at $299, and the subsequent Meta Quest 3 is priced at only $499.

However, Gurman pointed out that **Apple's $3,499 VisionPro pricing is already at or close to manufacturing costs, so to launch a cheaper device, it must "cut down" in various aspects. **

For example, for the three most expensive parts of VisionPro—camera and sensor array, dual Apple chips, and dual 4k micro OLED virtual reality displays—Apple could switch to fewer cameras, iPhone-level chips, or older Mac chips and Lower quality screen.

On the other hand, the "reduced version" may also adopt a simpler headband design, cancel the speaker, and use Airpods to play audio; cancel the automatic IPD (pupillary distance) adjustment and switch to physical adjustment; and delete 3D Features like camera...

Putting all of this together, along with finer manufacturing processes, economies of scale, and cheaper frames, Gurman believes that **Apple could shave “several hundred dollars” off the price of the headset. **

In addition, Gurman said that Apple's second-generation VisionPro is already under development and equipped with a faster processor, which indicates that Apple intends to adopt a dual-product strategy consistent with the iPhone series for the category of MR headsets.

is that true?

Achieving a more affordable version is a challenge for Apple.

Forbes commentator David Phelan pointed out that it is not uncommon for Apple to plan a roadmap for its latest products for many years to come, but usually, this should be an "upward" route:** That is, the lowest-priced version is launched first , followed by a higher-priced "Pro" version. **

Therefore, it is still doubtful that Apple will launch a cheaper "reduced version" after it has already launched the VisionPro version first.

In addition, with regard to Gurman's series of conjectures about the "reduced version", Phelan believes that it is possible to cancel the conjecture of the headband speaker, but it is not true that Apple will switch to a "lower quality screen":

The display is a big part of what makes the Vision Pro so irresistible, and I don't think Apple will compromise on that. The removal of the 3D camera is also unlikely, a "natural by-product" of the dual camera design.

Therefore, Phelan agrees with Gurman that "the price of US$3,499 has reached or is close to the manufacturing cost", and there will be great challenges in reducing the allocation.

But the difference is that, Phelan believes, **Apple if it wants to make a cheaper and more accessible headset, it will focus on economies of scale rather than lowering the quality of components. **

In addition, even if the price of the simplified version of the headset can be "cut down by a few hundred dollars" as Gurman said, it is still a high price-this is still a big gap with the iPhoneSE, the lowest-priced iPhone. :

The iPhone SE is almost an affordable option compared to the iPhone Pro models.

Of course, Phelan said frankly that no matter whether the conjecture of the reduced version is correct or not, there is still one thing that is clear, that is, Apple has made a big bet on Vision Pro and its subsequent products. **