Apple announced its long-rumored Vision Pro headset at its annual WWDC event last week. The device features powerful internals bolstering VisionOS as the main driver. However, the AR headset is out of the range as far as the price is concerned. Before the headset's launch, it was reported that the Vision Pro will be oriented toward developers, content creators, and professionals. With a whopping $3,500 price tag, the Vision Pro is not designed for the masses. Henceforth, Apple is working on a new cheaper, or more budget variant of the Vision Pro which could come with a handful of compromises.
Apple to launch a budget variant of the Vision Pro headset with several compromises alongside the premium version
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg states that Apple is working on a budget variant of the Vision Pro which will feature various compromises to bring the cost down. With the price set at $3,499. Apple was initially reported to sell less than a million units of the headset. It was recently covered that the demand for the headset has further decreased due to the low purchasing power of the consumer,
Gurman notes that Apple's cheaper headset name would ditch the 'Pro' moniker and could be called the 'Apple Vision' or 'Apple Vision One'. If the news has any heft to it or if Apple is indeed working on an affordable variant of the Vision Pro, what features could Apple remove from the table? As for the compromises, it is too early to speculate since it is unclear when Apple might be looking to launch the device.
Gurman points out that the budget Vision Pro comes with a slower processor. If we compare it to the recently released headset's specification, the cheaper version might potentially house an M1 chip. However, if Apple announces the product alongside the second-generation Vision Pro with an M3 chip, the affordable variant could come with an M2 chip. The current version of the headset features an M2 chip coupled with an R1 chip.
Other than the lower-specced processor, Gurman also believes that the cheaper Vision Pro will come with lower-resolution displays. Apple could switch to HD resolution while fine-tuning the pixels for enhanced quality. One of the most expensive components of the Vision Pro is the dual microLED display with a 4K resolution.
Additionally, the company could reduce the number of sensors, allowing the cost to come down further. For instance, the company could offer standard cameras instead of 3D cameras and skip Spatial Audio speakers for something less premium. All of this, combined with a seamless production process and economies of scale, the company could slash 'several hundred dollars off the price.'
Other than this, the company will offer the same VisionOS experience on both models - the premium and the budget variant. The lineup would be pretty similar to how Apple's iPhone 14 compares to the iPhone 14 Pro models.
source https://wccftech.com/cheaper-apple-vision-pro-with-display-performance-compromises/