Apple Faces Challenges in Sparking Interest for a More Affordable, Less Powerful Vision Pro

The Apple Vision Pro, with its hefty $3,500 price tag, is struggling to make a splash in the VR market. It boasts outstanding visuals and hand tracking, yet the initial buzz around it has quickly fizzled out. The steep cost is certainly a major barrier. To truly rival the Meta Quest 3, Apple might need to strip away everything that makes the Vision Pro stand out.

It seems Apple’s team is hard at work designing a more affordable version of the Vision headset, potentially launching next year. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that this new model could be priced between $1,500 and $2,000. Apple might cut costs by ditching the unnecessary EyeSight feature that mimics a user’s eyes on the exterior display. In hindsight, removing it from the get-go might have been a smart move to balance price and functionality.

This more budget-friendly version, currently called N107, could feature a less powerful chip than the Vision Pro’s M2, even though the current model is already stretching that chip’s capabilities. Moreover, Apple might scale back on external passthrough abilities and reduce the field of view. But these changes would strip away what makes Vision Pro shine compared to the $500 Quest 3.

The alternatives sound even less appealing. According to Gurman’s anonymous sources, Apple is considering making this cheaper version reliant on an iPhone or Mac for full functionality. Although products like the $1,800 Spacetop G1 and XReal’s Beam Pro use an external device for power, at least they offer lightweight wearability. The Vision Pro’s cumbersome external battery already posed a design challenge, and adding more wires would hinder the device’s usability.

Looking ahead, a new iteration of the Vision Pro is slated for 2026, bearing the codename N109. This model might focus on enhancing comfort and processing power while maintaining the high visual standards, although its steep price remains a barrier for many consumers.

Apple isn’t about to abandon its ambitions in the mixed reality space. According to Gurman, the company continues to bolster its VR team despite scaling back its Vision sales projections for 2025. The ultimate goal, as envisioned by CEO Tim Cook, is the development of true AR glasses. However, insiders believe such a breakthrough could still be years away.

Although the Meta Quest 3 offers a more attractive package overall, Meta is reportedly concentrating efforts on products like the Meta Ray Bans, which have surpassed expectations in popularity.

Even with the recent upgrades shown at WWDC, the Vision Pro hasn’t sparked much renewed interest. Numerous hurdles persist, from its discomfort to its lofty price, making it a tough sell for most people, particularly when a laptop or phone suffices for both work and play. If tethering the headset to these devices becomes necessary, it would only underscore the point that the headset feels more like an accessory than a stand-alone gadget you’d want on the go.