The less expensive version of the $3,499 Apple Vision Pro might have had its production timeline severely delayed beyond 2027. However, that does not mean that various methods aren't being explored to reduce its production costs, starting with the display. Possibly realizing that the screen’s price needs to be drastically reduced to offer the low-cost headset at a more affordable range, a new report claims that Apple is exploring two options to incorporate into the future head-mounted wearable. The version that the firm is leaning towards is the same one that it seemingly intends to use on a future premium headset.
The process being considered for the budget-friendly Apple Vision Pro involves a low temperature to avoid damaging the OLED and is considered more complex
It was earlier reported that Japan Display had supplied Apple with OLED samples with a pixel density of 1,500PPI, making it less than half of the Apple Vision Pro’s 3,386PPI figure. This approach would reduce the ‘Bill Of Materials’ total, which comes to around $1,536 for the current-generation mixed-reality wearable. The Elec reports that Apple has two choices, with a preference towards an approach that would not just make the display brighter but thinner too. These options relate to how the red, green, and blue (RGB) color filter is placed on the OLED, with one of them requiring a second layer.
For the one that Apple favors, the process is called W-OLED+CF and involves an OLED glass with the RGB filter deposited on top of it. Apparently, AppleInsider reports that this technology will be introduced to the second-generation Apple Vision Pro, which is rumored to feature the M5 and is said to launch in 2025. However, as you would have guessed, W-OLED+CF is a low-temperature process that needs to be carefully done to avoid damaging the OLED, and that itself makes it difficult to implement.
Thankfully, Samsung is reportedly employing this technology on its foldable smartphones and will most likely handle the production of such OLEDs for Apple. With these cost-cutting measures in place, the affordable Apple Vision Pro could be priced at around $2,000, which is significantly less than the $3,499 total that consumers have to pay for the latest one, there should come a time in the next decade in which there will be headsets available for $1,000. While that era is several years away, it is probably what Apple envisions.
News Source: The Elec
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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