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Low-cost Apple Vision Pro could drop external display

Apple Vision Pro


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A cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro will cut costs with removal of the external display and a downgrade of chip predicted by a new report.

The Apple Vision Pro is a groundbreaking mixed-reality headset, but also one that is far too expensive for most consumers at $3,500. While it is thought that Apple is coming up with a cheaper variant aimed at the consumer market, Apple is still working on ways to reduce the overall cost to make the device.

Writing in the "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that the more budget-friendly consumer device could cost between $1,500 to $2,500, following internal discussion. To get to that price, Apple has to trim the hardware significantly.

These changes were previously thought to include the use of an iPhone processor instead of a Mac-grade chip, as well as lower-resolution displays for the eyes. Now, Apple may want to get rid of the externally-visible display altogether.

The EyeSight feature displayed a representation of the user's eyes to the outside world, allowing others to see where the user is "looking" and maintaining a level of sociability to the headset's usage. By removing the display, this key feature would be eliminated entirely.

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As well as removing the display, the hardware cull could also remove a few of the externally-facing cameras and sensors.

The cheaper headset is not the only item Apple is working on. A second-generation Apple Vision Pro is also in development, but with a few changes, such as making it lighter and smaller for comfort.

Apple may also simplify the design by incorporating prescription lenses directly into it, rather than using lens inserts from Zeiss, like the first generation hardware.

There is no change to Apple's messaging about its release being "early next year." In reality, this means Apple has given itself until April to get the Apple Vision Pro out the door and into consumer hands.

20 Comments

harrykatsaros 9 Years · 91 comments

They shouldn't compromise on anything. If they start making compromises the Apple Vision ends up just becoming the Meta Quest with a different logo slapped on it. Just wait it out and let the Gen 1 Vision Pro become the lower cost entry level option when component prices drop as Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices get released. They just need to follow the same pattern they've been using with the iPhone where the older gen device evolves into a lower entry cost phone as the new iPhone is released. It's a proven strategy so why fix what isn't broken.

5 Likes · 0 Dislikes
eightzero 15 Years · 3176 comments

They shouldn't compromise on anything. If they start making compromises the Apple Vision ends up just becoming the Meta Quest with a different logo slapped on it. Just wait it out and let the Gen 1 Vision Pro become the lower cost entry level option when component prices drop as Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices get released. They just need to follow the same pattern they've been using with the iPhone where the older gen device evolves into a lower entry cost phone as the new iPhone is released. It's a proven strategy so why fix what isn't broken.

Yep. You got it.

And no, they won't integrate Rx lenses. Makes them completely unsellable. A hallmark of Apple products is that they retain their resale value for a very long time. 

"Early next year" means any time before June 30, 2024; just like "Fall 2024" means any time before ~12/21/24.

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ranson 16 Years · 97 comments

They shouldn't compromise on anything. If they start making compromises the Apple Vision ends up just becoming the Meta Quest with a different logo slapped on it. Just wait it out and let the Gen 1 Vision Pro become the lower cost entry level option when component prices drop as Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices get released. They just need to follow the same pattern they've been using with the iPhone where the older gen device evolves into a lower entry cost phone as the new iPhone is released. It's a proven strategy so why fix what isn't broken.

What are you even talking about here? Since the iPhone 11, they've released Pro and non-Pro versions of the iPhone every year at the same time. The non-pro version comes with a less powerful screen (60hz max without ProMotion), a less powerful camera array that lacks telephoto zoom and lidar, a less powerful cpu/gpu, and a slower modem. These are consistent differentiators between the pro and non-pro lines every year. Why would they not do the same w/ Vision?

The EyeSight feature provides no benefit to the user/wearer of the device. It's nothing but a shiny bell, requiring a custom, curved oled screen and multiple sensors, that is unnecessary for an entry-level device. Removing it would make the headset not only cheaper, but thinner, lighter and less power-hungry. When they showed off EyeSight in the launch video, I literally rolled my eyes at how much more expensive the device would cost for such uselessness, and mused that I'd happily pay for a cheaper version that didn't include it.

Apple's primary goal is profit. You make profits by selling in high volume (to the detriment of your competition) at excellent margins. You can't do that when a product is too expensive because you've baked in bells and whistles that few users would actually care about, thus diminishing demand for the product. Apple is likely discovering through their own consumer research studies that, while EyeSight is a killer feature, it is not enough of a draw for people to justify spending an additional $3K over just buying a Valve or Meta headset.

There are other opportunities for Apple to save here too, by farming out some of the built-in features of Vision Pro Gen1 to other parts of the Apple ecosystem. For example, consider the sensors that are constantly trained on your hands to detect finger taps. You may recall that the latest Apple Watch now detects the same gesture.  So they could remove those sensors from an entry level Vision device, and allow the user to instead wear an Apple Watch to enable the feature. At the same time, this would address some of the reliability issues of that feature on Vision Pro when the hands might be obscured from the cameras.

7 Likes · 0 Dislikes
eightzero 15 Years · 3176 comments

ranson said:
They shouldn't compromise on anything. If they start making compromises the Apple Vision ends up just becoming the Meta Quest with a different logo slapped on it. Just wait it out and let the Gen 1 Vision Pro become the lower cost entry level option when component prices drop as Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices get released. They just need to follow the same pattern they've been using with the iPhone where the older gen device evolves into a lower entry cost phone as the new iPhone is released. It's a proven strategy so why fix what isn't broken.
What are you even talking about here? Since the iPhone 11, they've released Pro and non-Pro versions of the iPhone every year at the same time. The non-pro version comes with a less powerful screen (60hz max without ProMotion), a less powerful camera array that lacks telephoto zoom and lidar, a less powerful cpu/gpu, and a slower modem. These are consistent differentiators between the pro and non-pro lines every year. Why would they not do the same w/ Vision?

The EyeSight feature provides no benefit to the user/wearer of the device. It's nothing but a shiny bell, requiring a custom, curved oled screen and multiple sensors, that is unnecessary for an entry-level device. Removing it would make the headset not only cheaper, but thinner, lighter and less power-hungry. When they showed off EyeSight in the launch video, I literally rolled my eyes at how much more expensive the device would cost for such uselessness, and mused that I'd happily pay for a cheaper version that didn't include it.

Apple's primary goal is profit. You make profits by selling in high volume (to the detriment of your competition) at excellent margins. You can't do that when a product is too expensive because you've baked in bells and whistles that few users would actually care about, thus diminishing demand for the product. Apple is likely discovering through their own consumer research studies that, while EyeSight is a killer feature, it is not enough of a draw for people to justify spending an additional $3K over just buying a Valve or Meta headset.

There are other opportunities for Apple to save here too, by farming out some of the built-in features of Vision Pro Gen1 to other parts of the Apple ecosystem. For example, consider the sensors that are constantly trained on your hands to detect finger taps. You may recall that the latest Apple Watch now detects the same gesture.  So they could remove those sensors from an entry level Vision device, and allow the user to instead wear an Apple Watch to enable the feature. At the same time, this would address some of the reliability issues of that feature on Vision Pro when the hands might be obscured from the cameras.

Yes, "...since the iPhone 11..." IOW, in a highly developed, flagship product of the world's largest corporation. Rolling out a new product, in a completely new category, is different than a multi-billion dollar one 10 years into its existence had has hundreds of millions of items in use worldwide. 

Apple did roll out versions of the Apple Watch on launch day, but different materials (including rose gold at $14k!) and sizes. But the watch itself has no "pro" version 10 years later. 

2 Likes · 0 Dislikes
Honkers 2 Years · 156 comments

eightzero said:
ranson said:
They shouldn't compromise on anything. If they start making compromises the Apple Vision ends up just becoming the Meta Quest with a different logo slapped on it. Just wait it out and let the Gen 1 Vision Pro become the lower cost entry level option when component prices drop as Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices get released. They just need to follow the same pattern they've been using with the iPhone where the older gen device evolves into a lower entry cost phone as the new iPhone is released. It's a proven strategy so why fix what isn't broken.
What are you even talking about here? Since the iPhone 11, they've released Pro and non-Pro versions of the iPhone every year at the same time. The non-pro version comes with a less powerful screen (60hz max without ProMotion), a less powerful camera array that lacks telephoto zoom and lidar, a less powerful cpu/gpu, and a slower modem. These are consistent differentiators between the pro and non-pro lines every year. Why would they not do the same w/ Vision?

The EyeSight feature provides no benefit to the user/wearer of the device. It's nothing but a shiny bell, requiring a custom, curved oled screen and multiple sensors, that is unnecessary for an entry-level device. Removing it would make the headset not only cheaper, but thinner, lighter and less power-hungry. When they showed off EyeSight in the launch video, I literally rolled my eyes at how much more expensive the device would cost for such uselessness, and mused that I'd happily pay for a cheaper version that didn't include it.

Apple's primary goal is profit. You make profits by selling in high volume (to the detriment of your competition) at excellent margins. You can't do that when a product is too expensive because you've baked in bells and whistles that few users would actually care about, thus diminishing demand for the product. Apple is likely discovering through their own consumer research studies that, while EyeSight is a killer feature, it is not enough of a draw for people to justify spending an additional $3K over just buying a Valve or Meta headset.

There are other opportunities for Apple to save here too, by farming out some of the built-in features of Vision Pro Gen1 to other parts of the Apple ecosystem. For example, consider the sensors that are constantly trained on your hands to detect finger taps. You may recall that the latest Apple Watch now detects the same gesture.  So they could remove those sensors from an entry level Vision device, and allow the user to instead wear an Apple Watch to enable the feature. At the same time, this would address some of the reliability issues of that feature on Vision Pro when the hands might be obscured from the cameras.
Yes, "...since the iPhone 11..." IOW, in a highly developed, flagship product of the world's largest corporation. Rolling out a new product, in a completely new category, is different than a multi-billion dollar one 10 years into its existence had has hundreds of millions of items in use worldwide. 

Apple did roll out versions of the Apple Watch on launch day, but different materials (including rose gold at $14k!) and sizes. But the watch itself has no "pro" version 10 years later. 

What's the Ultra, if not a Pro version of the Apple Watch by another name?

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