The Apple Vision Pro headset may not have been a resounding success for the company, what with analyst reports indicating massively slashed production numbers off the back of poor sales. Chief user complaints (among many) have included cracking screens, feelings of isolation, and looking like a bit of a plum while wearing one. Oh, and the price: $3,499, before extras.
Now reports indicate that Apple has done the most un-Apple of things, and suspended work on the next generation of the device in favour of a cheaper model.
The company is said to have told at least one of its suppliers that work on the Vision Pro 2 has been suspended, in order to prioritise a version with fewer cameras, a simpler headband, and smaller speakers (via MacRumors). This cheaper version has reportedly been in the works since 2022 with the codename "N109", and aims to retail for the same price as a high-end iPhone, which would be around $1,600.
Crucially, however, it's said that Apple is keen to keep the fancy internal display components the same. While the original Vision Pro was criticised for many things, some reviewers did point out that the internal displays were impressive, so a much cheaper unit featuring the same essential hardware would likely be a bit of a winner if Apple could pull it off.
Not only that, but those high-end displays are almost certainly the most expensive part of the device. Keeping the best bits while massively reducing the end cost is very, well, pro-consumer, if true. And that's just grand.
Another major critique was the overall weight of the original device, as depending on the spec it ranged between 600 to 650 g. Even in its lightest configuration, that's a little under 100 g heavier than the Oculus (Meta) Quest 2, and when it comes to something you strap to the front of your face, that can make quite the difference.
The new model, however, is reportedly focused on being much lighter. So that's the same display as the previous model, but easier on the neck, with fewer cameras and for much less cash. Tidy!
As to whether you'll still look like someone trapped in overly tight scuba goggles while wearing one? Unclear at this time.
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Still, if these rumours prove out it'd be refreshing to see Apple focus on consumer cost and refinement over upgraded specs, which seems to me like a pretty smart move at this point.
Otherwise, the original Vision Pro may well be regarded as one of the worst launches in Apple's history, even worse than the world's least comfortable mouse (a personal opinion, I hasten to add). Turns out that if you bought the original Vision Pro, you may have been wearing an expensive prototype for something that in the end turns out to be much more palatable. The tech industry, ey? Early adoption at your peril.
