Apple Faces Challenges in Sparking Interest for a More Affordable, Less Powerful Vision Pro

The Apple Vision Pro, priced at a hefty $3,500, hasn’t achieved much traction yet. While it boasts some of the finest visuals and hand-tracking capabilities in the VR arena, the initial excitement has dwindled significantly in the months following its launch. A significant factor for this could be its sky-high price tag. To become a serious contender against the Meta Quest 3, it seems that Apple might need to strip away much of what sets the Vision Pro apart.

The challenge is very real for Apple’s team, holed up in their futuristic headquarters, as they work on designing a more affordable version of the Vision headset, potentially hitting the market next year. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, this upcoming model might be priced between $1,500 and $2,000. Gurman elaborates on a few strategies Apple might employ to bring down the cost for users. One such possibility is doing away with the EyeSight exterior display which mimics the user’s eyes. Had Apple omitted this feature from the start, it might have been a more appealing product right from the get-go.

Currently, this budget-friendly Vision headset is under the code name N107. In order to make it less expensive, Apple might opt for a processor with less power than the M2 chip used in the Vision Pro. Even though the pricey Vision Pro already pushes that CPU to its limits. Additionally, Apple might scale back on the exterior passthrough features and restrict the field of view. However, trimming those elements undermines what made the Vision Pro stand out compared to the $500 Quest 3.

The alternatives appear even less appealing. From Gurman’s insider information, Apple has contemplated making the cheaper Vision model reliant on an iPhone or Mac for power. Devices like the $1,800 Spacetop G1 and the latest Beam Pro by XReal also depend on external devices and wired setups for their AR glasses, though these glasses are notably lighter than a full headset. One of the least popular design choices in the Vision Pro was its external wired battery pack, so adding even more cords could severely hamper the functionality of the next Vision model.

Looking further down the timeline, Apple is eyeing a Vision Pro upgrade for 2026, with the project identified as N109. This future version might only need enhancements in comfort and processing power to build upon what’s already regarded as one of the premium headsets on the market—albeit out of reach for most due to its price.

Apple isn’t ready to abandon its pursuits in alternate reality technologies just yet. As per Gurman’s insights, the tech behemoth is still recruiting for its VR department, even as analysts argue that Apple has scaled back its Vision sales forecasts for 2025. The ultimate aim remains to develop true AR glasses, a vision that CEO Tim Cook had from the outset, though Apple insiders believe this might still be years in the making.

Meanwhile, despite the Meta Quest 3 offering a more attractive overall package, Meta is apparently channeling more resources into projects like the Meta Ray Bans, especially as those have exceeded initial popularity forecasts.

Even with the recent enhancements and upgrades to visionOS showcased at WWDC, they haven’t sparked new interest around Apple’s inaugural VR headset. There are still numerous barriers to its adoption—from constrained comfort to its high cost—which makes it a tough buy for many, especially when a laptop and smartphone often suffice for both work and entertainment. Having to connect the headset to such external devices could only further underscore how supplementary it is, compared to gadgets you can just carry in your backpack or pocket.