Yes, it was already last week. Apple announced at the WWDC conference an impressive series of new features for iOS. And above all, its long-awaited mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro.
The announcement of this headset has already caused quite a stir, mostly due to its hefty $3,499 price tag.
According to Mark Gurman, an Apple business analyst at Bloomberg, Apple is preparing a cheaper version of the Vision Pro. The idea? Drive product sales. And according to Mark Gurman, the Vision Pro’s name alone suggests that a more affordable version is in the works.
The game of mentions on Apple products
Typically, Apple uses “pro” to tell consumers about a product’s technological capabilities. “Pro” in the MacBook, iPhone, AirPods, and iPad product lines denotes a number of additional features on those products. For one it will be better camera quality, for the other greater battery life or more sophisticated internal hardware.
On the other hand, the mention “Air” (iPad and MacBook Air) and “SE” (Watch and iPhone SE) indicate less sophisticated internal hardware and a technological experience more intended for occasional users. These mentions also tend to indicate that the product will be more affordable.
Products with no specific mention and only a generation number, such as the iPhone 14, Apple Watch 8, iPad (10th generation) and AirPods (3rd generation), indicate to consumers that they are buying a model basic.
A price not so much lower
So, Gurman suggests that the affordable version of the Vision Pro could be called Apple Vision or Apple Vision One. But Apple says it’s venturing into “the age of space computing” with the release of the Vision Pro, so a brand new term could be used.
Still, even with a product that is less well endowed in terms of functionality, Mr. Gurman is not sure that the price will be much lower. The price of the Vision Pro, $3,499, he says, would roughly match the manufacturing cost of the headset. He thinks, however, that Apple could cut costs by removing the headphones’ speakers, forcing users to rely on their AirPods for sound.
Mr. Gurman also suggests that Apple could reduce the quality of the Vision Pro’s screen or remove the 3D camera to make this new version more affordable. According to Mr. Gurman, whatever features Apple decides to downgrade or remove, the price would only be reduced by a few hundred dollars.
Apple’s new – low-cost – mixed reality headset would then come in at just over $3,000, the price of nearly four iPhone 14s. Mr Gurman says this cheaper Apple headset could be put in sale at the end of 2025 and that Apple is already working on a Vision Pro 2 with a faster processor.
So Apple is already laying the groundwork to offer consumers a first- and second-generation Vision Pro as well as a slightly cheaper option. Which indicates that Apple thinks the Vision Pro is here to stay. It remains to be seen how many people are willing and able to spend $3,000 on a mixed reality headset today or in the years to come.
Source: “ZDNet.com”