Soon after expanding Apple Vision Pro’s availability to more regions and unveiling the new visionOS 2 at WWDC last week, Apple is said to have halted the development of Vision Pro 2, according to a new report from The Information.
The report suggests further that Apple is shifting its focus to releasing a more affordable version of the Apple Vision Pro by the end of 2025. It appears this strategy was always in the works, considering Apple’s use of the “Pro” branding, which leaves room for multiple variants.
According to the report, Apple has been downsizing the team working on the development of Vision Pro 2, and they have informed at least one supplier that work on the next version of Vision Pro has been paused.
The cheaper Vision headset’s price hasn’t been confirmed, but a report suggests Apple is targeting a price of around $1,500. For comparison, Apple currently sells the Vision Pro for $3,500 in the U.S. and has announced its expansion to more regions, though specific pricing details remain undisclosed.
It’s expected that the affordable Vision mixed-reality headset will not include some features available in the Pro model, of course. Reports suggest it will pack the Pro model’s high-quality display but will include a simpler headband, smaller speakers, and fewer cameras.
However, Apple is reportedly facing difficulties in reducing the price of the affordable Vision without significantly compromising its features. Additionally, it is rumored to be “one-third lighter” than the current Vision Pro the company claims to be about 600-650g or 21.2-22.9 ounces.
Since the purported launch seems at least one and half years away from now, it’s soon to say anything. However, I’d argue that introducing an affordable alternative is a prudent move from Cupertino since Apple’stop-dollar pricing for the Vision Pro has remained a challenge. Additionally, there are several Vision Pro alternatives available in the market including Meta Quest 3 which costs about 7 times less than Apple’s.