The Apple Vision Pro has only just been revealed, but it is already a groundbreaking product for Apple. And it looks like it won’t be the last.
At least, not according to the latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple’s first VR headset has also led to Apple’s first product-centric division in decades. The big reason, according to Gurman, is that Apple anticipates that its inaugural Vision Pro headset will be far from the last of Apple’s “Vision products.”
Typically, at least since Steve Jobs took back control of Apple in the late 1990s, Apple has used a function-centric approach to how it arranges its corporate structure. This means instead of an iPhone or MacBook group, Apple has a software team and a hardware team that works across both those products, as well as the rest of the company’s product offerings.
But apparently, Apple changed things up for the Apple Vision Pro. The Technology Development Group — now known internally at Apple as the Vision Products Group (VPG) operates outside this functional hierarchy. Instead, it has its own teams for “strategy, computer vision, content, app development and project management.”
Gurman gives a couple of suggestions for not only why the VPG was created but why it has stuck around. And while these range from creating a startup-like environment or a need for greater specialization due to Apple only just beginning its journey into mixed reality, it does seem clear that the team is working on “products” rather than just a single offering.
This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise to either us or Gurman. A cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro headset has been tipped by Gurman and reported by us previously. However, this does seem to be confirming that Apple’s first headset certainly won’t be its last product powered by visionOS.
What to expect from a cheaper Apple Vision Pro
While a cheaper Vision Pro headset could be years away — it’s currently projected for 2025 or 2026 — we do have a couple of rumors about what to expect.
First, expect the “Pro” to be dropped. Gurman says it will likely be named “Apple Vision or Apple Vision One.” It will also lack some of the features of the Vision Pro because to make the headset cheaper Apple will likely cut some hardware costs. Sensors, processors, built-in speakers and displays are all areas where Apple could make downgrades in a cheaper headset.
But those changes could finally make an Apple headset affordable. The Vision Pro is priced at $3,500 and costs Apple at least $1,500 per headset to make. Those numbers are far cries from the Meta Quest 3, which will launch at just $499 later this year. So Apple’s VPG will certainly need to make changes if it wants to make a headset for everyone, or even most people.
