Apple obviously wants to spin off the Vision Pro into a line of devices with different features and price points. However, if the tech giant ultimately becomes successful in headsets, the products will probably look and feel nothing like the Vision Pro of today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says in his latest “Power On” newsletter.
From his report: The Vision Pro is an amazing piece of technology, especially when it comes to watching video. You can turn any room into a virtual movie theater, and the fully immersive clips that Apple has published — including sports highlights and landscapes — are a sight to behold. The hardware also is a marvel, with its sleek aluminum-and-glass design, high-end cameras, advanced chips and dazzling displays.
But the headset is really more of a technology showcase than a genuine consumer product. There’s little reason for someone to buy a Vision Pro instead of a computer, and the drawbacks are too big to ignore. It can’t be worn for long periods of time; there’s little third-party software or video content; and the device lacks compelling other features.
He notes that the price is also a limiting factor as the current Vision Pro is $35,00 before tax, storage upgrades, and accessories, making it too expensive for most folks. Gurman says Apple seems aware that it needs to rethink its approach to headsets. As of now, he thinks the company’s Vision Products Group is evaluating a few different options, including:
- The status quo route: This would involve keeping the Vision Pro more or less the same but focusing on a less expensive version. Apple could bring down the cost with cheaper materials, lesser internal technologies and lower-quality displays. The company would also follow up with a second-generation version of the original, higher-end Vision Pro that has a new chip and Apple Intelligence.
- The smart display route: In this scenario, Apple would remove the on-board computer and external battery from the Vision Pro and shift many of the internal functions over to the iPhone. This would make the iPhone more valuable, reduce the weight and heat of the headset, and — most importantly — eliminate several hundred dollars worth of components to bring down the price.
- The smart glasses route: This would mean developing a product that’s closer to Meta’s hit collaboration with Ray-Ban — smart glasses without AR. Apple could use its expertise in chips and audio, as well as its growing collection of AI tools, to make a compelling device. This would essentially be a me-too product, but also something akin to an AirPods on steroids — and Apple fans would probably eat it up.
- The AI and AirPods route: Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro that uses external cameras and artificial intelligence to understand the outside world and provide information to the user. This would essentially be the smart glasses path — but without actual glasses.
- The holy grail route: The ultimate goal is standalone augmented reality spectacles that come with high-performing lenses, a battery system, on-board computer, cameras, eye tracking and other components built-in— all while still being the size and weight of normal glasses. This has long been Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s dream, but Apple previously paused development of such a product because it was just too big a challenge.
