A cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro could be in the works but there are likely to be some major design changes to cut costs.
According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on a cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro for many years, however, Apple is having issues keeping important features while cutting the price. The headset, codenamed N107 or as Gurman calls it: the Apple Vision, could cut costs in several ways including one big design change.
One of the biggest speculated changes is the addition of a tether cable that would connect to either an iPhone or a Mac. This tether cable would allow Apple to lower the overall computing power and weight of the Vision Pro, thereby saving on component and manufacturing costs. However, it would mean changing the overall design of the device, so could look very different than the current Vision Pro.
While the tether could help to cut the overall cost, it likely won't bring it down as much as Apple wants which, according to Gurman, means pricing between $1,500 and £2,000. Gurman theorizes that Apple may plan to strip the EyeSight display feature, which allows the Apple Vision Pro to show off the user's eyes on the front, the Apple Vision could also use a less powerful chip and reduce the augmented reality passthrough visuals.
Apple will want to be careful regarding what it cuts from the device, especially after all the new features it showed off for VisionOS 2 that it announced at WWDC. These include features allowing users to share their galleries in real-time with other users, a larger virtual display and a larger virtual display when used in conjunction with a Macbook.
The Apple Vision Pro is, undoubtedly, a vision of the future of technology. However, the extreme price point makes it difficult for most people to experience. Apple working to create a new, cheaper, version is great news but in the meantime, all sights are set on the iPhone 16 instead, especially with the upcoming new additions from Apple intelligence.
