The Apple Vision Pro has officially flooded the U.S. in the past few days, and there has been a multitude of praises surrounding the technology giant’s first mixed-reality headset, irrespective of the eye-watering $3,499 price tag belonging to the base storage model. The device, as it stands right now, can be compared to Apple’s iPad range, and one report makes a prediction that there will come a time when these AR headset sales start to have a deleterious effect on tablet shipments.
Apple Vision Pro excels in multiple tasks that can be done on an iPad, but it needs to gain popularity before anything else happens
The head-mounted wearable’s potential as being the future of Apple’s Mac range or a replacement for the iPhone has been downplayed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his ‘Power On’ newsletter, Gurman states that while the Apple Vision Pro is in its early days, it could end up cannibalizing iPad sales. He mentions that the company’s latest headset can deliver a significantly better experience than what the iPad was designed to handle.
Over the years, Apple has attempted to market its iPad lineup as a Mac or laptop replacement. In terms of hardware, the California-based giant’s ‘thin and light’ easily outperforms the competition, but its Achilles' heel has always been iPadOS. Even with keyboard and mouse support, coupled with bringing professional applications to the platform, such as Final Cut, the strategy has not worked out as well as the company would have hoped. In its recent Q1 2024 earnings call, Apple once again reported declining tablet sales, which has been the theme of this division for the past few quarters.
“So here’s where the Vision Pro comes in. There’s been a lot of talk that the headset could be the future of the Mac or a replacement for the iPhone. I don’t think either is true. After using the $3,499 device for about a week, I believe the Vision Pro could instead cannibalize the iPad. It has the potential to provide a far better experience for the main jobs that Apple’s tablet was designed to handle. But don’t get me wrong, it’s still very early days.
In my testing, the Vision Pro exceled at video streaming, doing light work tasks, and sending email and other messages. It’s also great for viewing photos and serving as an external Mac monitor. That makes it an alternative to your computer when you’re sitting on the couch, in bed or on an airplane — the same places where you might use an iPad.”
However, for the Apple Vision Pro to successfully succeed the iPad, there are a myriad of obstacles that it needs to scale, and it is not just the ludicrous pricing that is a barrier, but other details that are mentioned in the latest newsletter.
“But today’s Vision Pro is more of a preview of the future than the future itself. It’s too heavy and cumbersome, the battery life is far too short, and there aren’t enough dedicated apps. For all its strengths, the visionOS operating system suffers from more bugginess than you’d typically expect from an Apple product, even a first-generation one.”
To address the pricing problem, Apple is reportedly working on a low-cost model, but we do not expect it to arrive before 2025. Also, when it does materialize, there could be watered-down features to match its affordability, such as a downgraded display, along with the possibility of switching to an iPhone chipset instead of a Mac one. Naturally, it will take a boatload of years for this category to mature, and only then can we update readers on whether the Apple Vision Pro is ready to replace the iPad.
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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