Whispers of an upcoming budget version of Apple Vision Pro made the lukewarm reception to the original mixed reality headset a bit more palatable. Unfortunately, it looks like you’ll need to wait a lot longer to get your hands on one.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple internally postponed production of its cheaper efforts a while ago and won’t make it available for years. Instead, Tim Cook and his team are eyeing up a release date that’s “beyond 2027.”
This leaves just one head-mounted display scheduled between now and then, with a new M5-clad Vision Pro due in 2025. It’s unclear just how much this will cost since the original M2 version still runs for $3,499 USD – the same price as its launch MSRP eight months ago.
Newer silicon goes some way to justify a premium, especially with fresh features such as spatial computing, Apple Intelligence support, and whatever else lies on the horizon. Still, Apple will need to be mindful. Affordability is a primary factor in the low adoption rates of its first foray.
In something of a chicken and egg scenario, Kuo believes it’s exactly this lack of demand that’s driven the delay of a more reasonably-priced model. Apple largely gets away with charging more than its competitors, but only if it can prove successful use cases that warrant the extra spend. This is something the current device falters with, and a price drop won’t solve its narrow scope.
Kuo Aptly suggests it’s similar to HomePod. Apple’s failed smart speakers failed to make a splash against Amazon’s Echo range and Google’s Home lineup since it didn’t offer anything unique or particularly innovative while charging more. Vision Pro has the same issue Meta Quest 3, despite some nifty features edging out the competition.
Vision Pro 2 could be a new lease of life for Apple’s mixed reality attempts, but don’t expect costs to come down just yet. Instead, the company is far more focused on bolstering feature sets to pump value into the currently exorbitant asking price. Besides, a new model could well make the original a touch more affordable, plugging the budget gap.
