Apple is said to be developing a lighter, more affordable mixed reality headset. (Image source: Ali Colak)
With its extremely high-resolution micro-OLED displays and innovative gesture control, Apple Vision Pro is one of the most interesting mixed reality headsets currently on the market. However, at starting prices of $3,499, the device is too expensive for the mass market. Apple is reportedly planning a much more affordable headset called Vision Air.
The Apple Vision Pro still costs at least $3,499, despite its now somewhat outdated hardware based on the Apple M2. According to a previous report by Bloomberg, Apple is expected to launch a new variant of the Vision Pro in 2025, featuring a more comfortable headband and either an Apple M4 or an Apple M5.
For consumers, however, Apple’s mixed reality headset is unlikely to become truly interesting until 2027. According to the latest information from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which came from Apple’s supply chain, the iPhone maker is planning a new headset for the year after next, which the analyst provisionally calls Apple Vision Air. The headset is expected to be at least 40% lighter, dropping from 650 grams to under 390 grams, making the mixed reality headset roughly as light as the Apple AirPods Max.
Equally important is that Apple Vision Air is expected to cost less than half as much as Apple Vision Pro, meaning the headset should launch for around $1,500. The lower price should also boost Apple’s supply chain sales. While fewer than 400,000 Vision Pros are currently sold annually, Apple is expected to produce at least one million Vision Airs by 2027 alone. It’s currently unclear which components Apple is cutting costs on to achieve the lower price, but it is conceivable that the company is using fewer cameras or lower-resolution displays.
Since 2009 I have written for different publications with a focus on consumer electronics. I joined the Notebookcheck news team in 2018 and have combined my many years of experience with laptops and smartphones with my lifelong passion for technology to create informative content for our readers about new developments in this sphere. In addition, my design background as an art director at an ad agency has allowed me to have deeper insights into the peculiarities of this industry.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 2121 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.