The Apple Vision Pro might have wowed the masses and made competitors nervous, but what it did not do was become a highlight product in terms of sales despite having incredible hardware and a futuristic design to match its speedy internals. In the U.S., a previous estimate claimed that shipments of the mixed-reality headset had yet to touch 100,000 units, meaning that it is more than likely that reception in other regions will be just as poor. However, these lackluster figures have not demotivated Apple in the slightest because the latest report states that in addition to preparing a low-cost version of its AR headset, a successor and a pair of smart glasses are said to be in the works.
Launch of the low-cost Apple Vision Pro version is almost guaranteed, but no update on when the remaining two products will arrive
Development on the Apple Vision Pro successor was previously said to have been suspended, as the technology giant wanted to converge its energy and resources towards materializing the affordable headset for a 2025 launch. Thankfully, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes that the company continues its work on the premium head-mounted wearable while attempting to navigate around the technical challenges of the smart glasses. As for the low-cost edition, Apple was earlier said to have been working on the device for years but is struggling to retain key features while cutting down costs.
These compromises range from using an iPhone chipset instead of a Mac one, along with an inferior display, lack of EyeSight, fewer cameras, and removing the headset’s ability to be used as a standalone product and requiring it to be tethered to an iPhone or Mac. None of these cost-cutting approaches are ideal, but it also does not help Apple’s financials if it continues to sell an expensive mixed-reality headset that caters to a certain percentage of buyers. Even with the price getting trimmed, the low-cost version of the Apple Vision Pro is still reported to be as expensive as a premium iPhone.
The second-generation Apple Vision Pro and smart glasses have no official or estimated release timeframe, suggesting that customers may have to wait until 2026 and beyond. Making a pair of spectacles into an AR-focused product has been exceptionally difficult for Apple, as it needs to deliver iPhone-level performance while consuming 10 percent of the power to prevent overheating. Apple CEO Tim Cook was previously reported to view these smart glasses as a ‘key objective,’ but the technology needed to materialize this product has been elusive.
In short, both the second-generation Apple Vision Pro and smart glasses are probably years away, so we have to turn our attention to the low-cost model, which is estimated to launch next year, and see if it can revive the company’s hopes and maintain its bet on the augmented reality market.
News Source: Bloomberg
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.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
