Rumor mill: Apple’s Vision Pro recently marked its first anniversary, but the company is reportedly not planning to release a second-gen model any time soon. Instead, a cheaper version of the device is said to be in the works to rope in buyers who are unwilling to splurge on the original due to its high price tag.
According to a new report from The Information, Apple has paused work on the successor to the Vision Pro, a result of waning interest and plummeting sales. The company has reportedly told at least one supplier to stop working on the next-gen model, indicating that it is not planning to release another high-priced mixed reality headset in the near future.
Instead of working on the second-gen Vision Pro, Apple is said to be developing a more affordable headset that reportedly has the code name N109. The report did not reveal any technical specifications of the rumored device, but it’s tipped to retain the high-resolution display of the current model.
The cheaper headset may not offer all the high-end features of the Vision Pro, but Apple wants to make it a third lighter than the original model to improve its usability.
The report adds that Apple is looking to position the new wearable at a similar price point to that of a high-end iPhone, which would suggest that it could cost around $1,500. While that’s a massive improvement over the $3,500 price-tag of the Vision Pro, it will still be a lot more expensive than the Meta Quest 3, which starts at just $500 for the 128GB version and goes up to $650 for the 512GB variant. There’s no confirmed launch date for the cheaper model, but Apple is said to be targeting a late-2025 release window.
Apple released its Vision Pro mixed reality headset last year, but its astronomical price and lack of compelling apps meant that it’s too niche for the vast majority of consumers. However, despite a lukewarm response in the US, Apple is expanding its availability globally. Earlier this month, the company announced that the device will finally go on sale in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore from June 28. It will also go on pre-order in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK on the same day.