Apple reportedly cancels cheaper Vision Pro headset
A new report has indicated that Apple might have cut the cheaper Vision headset from its lineup of hardware.
Apple’s latest big hardware push with the Vision Pro headset might have hit a few snags. It’s being reported by renowned Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo that the Cupertino company might have scrapped its plans for a cheaper headset.
The Vision Pro is an expensive mixed-reality headset, coming in at a whopping $3,499. We’ve yet to see much more from it before its 2024 release date, since its announcement earlier this year.
However, in the time between then and now, Apple’s headset has had some unfortunate reports. The latest is that Apple has decided to not produce a cheaper model, as Kuo’s sources from the production line have reported.
It’s unknown why Apple has decided to ditch the cheaper model, but the number of produced units on the Pro model might be a factor. Currently, Apple expects to ship – at most – 600,000 units. This is due to a number of reasons, including that Sony can’t develop the OLED panels in large quantities.
Kuo doesn’t expect the Vision Pro to grow in number of shipped units in 2024, as they mention in the report:
“Unless Apple significantly reduces the price of Vision Pro, the anticipated significant shipment growth in Vision Pro shipments starting in 2025 may not materialize.”
Apple Vision Pro 2 could also be on the way in 2027
AppleThe report also mentions that the headset’s successor, the Vision Pro 2 is expected to hit mass production in the first half of 2027. This would indicate that Apple has no interest in producing other hardware in the Vision line until then.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, is partially hinging his reputation on the Vision Pro. Apple has recently come under more fire from enthusiasts for a lack of innovation in terms of design and feature sets. While the iPhone 15 Pro has impressed and will be able to play major new gaming releases, the move to USB-C did not set the world on fire.
The launch of the Vision Pro would be Cook’s first major new hardware release as the CEO of Apple.