Apple Vision "Lite": First Info Leaked About Cheaper VR/MR Glasses

Apple Vision One: The "cheaper" MR headset

Admittedly, the Apple Vision Pro presented at WWDC 2023 is—as is not uncommon with Apple—the measure of all things. Technology like the M2 processor, a dedicated operating system and an incredible resolution of the 96 Hz fast microLED panels probably justify the targeted price of just under $3,500.

That it could be a bit cheaper was already suspected at the time. Now, the well-known Apple leaker and Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman reports about first information about the Apple Vision—without "Pro".

• Don't miss Camila's comprehensive post: Early impressions on the Apple Vision Pro

The new mixed reality glasses are expected to lose some features compared to the Pro model, which is probably not a big surprise. The first cut concerns the performance: Instead of the fast M2 processor from the Mac department, Cupertino looked into the Apple iPhone department and found the Apple A17 Pro SoC in the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. With a bit of luck, maybe the successor processor—presumably an A18 Pro.

Apple on a savings course

There are also cuts in the display. Both the EyeSight outer panel and the two Zeiss micro-LED lenses inside. We remember: EyeSight is the somewhat creepy display that projects the user's eyes for outsiders when the user also makes visual contact with the "outside world" via augmented reality.

This feature will be completely absent from Apple's base headset, and the flat pancake lenses will still have a lower resolution than the 23 million pixels of the Apple Vision Pro. According to Gurman, Cupertino will also omit some cameras and sensors from the Apple Vision.

But what do all these cost-cutting measures mean for the actual price of the non-Pro Apple Vision? The Bloomberg editor remains a bit too cautious with his comments here for my taste. In his opinion, the Apple MR headset will cost between $1,500 and $2,500.

With a margin of 1,000 US dollars, any other person without any idea of the matter could probably have come up with this price range. We'll probably have to be patient for a bit before we find out a final price on the affordable standalone VR glasses.

Until then, we'll be testing the Meta Quest 3, which I can already say really blew me away. And that in a positive sense and significantly slimmer $500.

Are you as excited as I am about the next stage of virtual reality? Write us your opinion about VR/MR/AR in the comments below.

Source: Bloomberg