Apple’s Vision Pro officially launched in February 2024 in the United States, and it later launched in several more countries like Singapore this past summer. visionOS 2 was recently released, and it brought solid improvements such as new gestures and support for Bluetooth mice.
While we’re expecting the next hardware refresh for the Vision Pro anytime soon, there’s still a lot to look forward to in Apple’s spatial computing category. Since the super high starting price of the Vision Pro at $3,499, we’ve been anticipating a more affordable version of Apple’s headset, and sources say that Apple has been developing such a device. According to The Elec, Apple has received OLED display samples from Japan Display (JDI) with a pixel density of around 1,500 pixels per inch.
By comparison, the Vision Pro uses 3,391 PPI displays, so reducing the pixel density of the displays will allow Apple to bring the starting price down for a new model. Furthermore, Apple may limit the capabilities of its cheaper headset further by having it rely on either a tethered iPhone or Mac’s processing power to operate the headset, as reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman back in June. Apple could also reduce R&D costs further by eliminating the EyeSight feature and using less premium materials.
However, since the development of the said headset is in its infancy, we may not see it come to fruition until a few years later before it hits production. Still, Apple is clearly invested in the spatial computer industry, and with Vision Pro landing in several more countries, only time will tell if we’ll see the real potential that Vision Pro will offer.
