Last week, WWDC 2023 saw the unveiling of the long-awaited Apple Vision Pro headset. That device has been rumoured for a long time, and certainly didn't disappoint, grabbing headlines for a host of reasons.
Chief among them, though, was the price. At $3,499, it's certainly not cheap, and while some have argued that it still represents good value, others remain unconvinced.
Fortunately, there may be a solution. For pretty much as long as the Vision Pro has been rumoured, we've also heard about a more affordable variant which would be released. Now, more details about that have been released – and it could be here soon.
According to notable Apple tipster, Mark Gurman, the more affordable version is in the works for release at the end of 2025. Given that the Vision Pro won't be on sale until early 2024, that's not bad going. Gurman also suggests that this model may just be called Apple Vision, or Apple Vision One.
Of course, something will have to give for a cheaper model to be viable. Reports have suggested that the price tag of the Apple Vision Pro is pretty much at cost, so there's a fair amount to shave off if Apple want this to be profitable.
Gurman suggests that Spatial Audio could be one of the first things to go, with users prompted to use their existing AirPods instead. Elsewhere, the array of sensors and/or processors could be changed. One suggestion has been to use the Apple Bionic processors from the iPhone range in place of the M2 chip.
Regardless, it's great news. While many may have been put off by the price tag of the initial model, it never really felt like a device that was aimed at consumers. Instead, this appeared to be geared towards developers, to help foster the next generation of spatial computing.
With that next generation seemingly closer to market than expected, the future looks bright.
