Apple finally introduced the augmented reality glasses Vision Pro, which we have been saying for years, “Has come or will come”, at the WWDC 2023 keynote presentation held last Monday. Although the glasses managed to impress most technology enthusiasts with the features they offer, the $3,500 price tag was severely criticized. It seems that Apple is aware of these criticisms and is taking concrete steps to resolve this issue.
Technology editor Mark Gurman from Bloomberg shared what he learned about Apple’s future plans for Vision Pro. According to the information provided by Gurman, Apple has already started working on a more affordable augmented reality glasses than Vision Pro. According to Gurman, even the ‘Pro’ jewelry in the name of the augmented reality glasses is a hint of the affordable version, which can be called the more affordable Apple Vision or Vision One.
What features will Apple give up for the affordable Vision?
While explaining what we should expect from an affordable Apple Vision, Mark Gurman first lists the high-cost components that cause the $3,500 price tag; camera and sensors, two different Apple Silicon processors, and perhaps most importantly, two 4K microLED AR displays. Therefore, we can see less cameras and sensors, lower resolution screens and lower level processors in a non-‘Pro’ Apple vision.
Apple may also have to forego design to save costs. For example, using AirPods instead of integrated speakers for spatial select. In addition, simply removing the 3D camera can reduce the cost by hundreds of dollars. Of course, removing these features from Apple Vision means the disappearance of many admirable features.
When will the affordable Apple Vison arrive?
Mark Gurman assumes that despite all of Apple’s cost-cutting efforts, it will accept some features as standard and will continue to keep it in the affordable model as well as the Pro model. This includes eye tracking and hand tracking, referred to as EyeSight. In other words, the augmented reality glasses will continue to be controlled by hand and eye in both the affordable Apple Vision and Pro models.
Let’s come to the crucial topic; When will the affordable Apple Vision arrive? According to Mark Gurman, although Apple is already working on it, the affordable model will be announced in late 2025. It’s about 3 years before it goes on sale. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage for Apple. The advantage is because we will get used to the $3,500 price in these 3 years. Once the affordable model is announced, it will be much easier to accept its price. The disadvantage is that since the Pro model will not reach very high sales figures, companies will delay their investments here, except for special agreements.
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