Apple is said to be developing plans for a more affordable version of the Vision Pro: its first mixed reality (MR) headset. Although no release date has been revealed and the device is not even official, it is speculated that it will be launched at the end of 2025. According to a recent report, this new handset may have bigger screens but with a higher resolution down, to try to keep up. costs go down.
Cheaper Vision Pro with lower resolution displays
According to a report from The Elec, the more affordable version of the Apple Vision Pro may offer large 2.1-inch OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) displays, making them considerably larger than those present in the current Vision Pro headphones . These screens are recommended to have a resolution of 1700 pixels per inch (ppi).
Sony is currently Apple's main supplier of these micro-displays. However, its production capacity is limited to 9,00,000 panels per year, and since each headset uses two screens, it translates into a maximum capacity to support 4,50,000 mixed reality headsets.
To do so, Apple is said to have issued a request for information (RFI), a process for obtaining technology-related information before a product is developed, to other display makers such as Samsung and LG to evaluate their production capacities. According to the report, this is not only an attempt to increase shipments of the Vision Pro, but also to establish a stable supply of the displays. However, it is unclear whether both companies will respond to Apple's request.
In particular, the Apple Vision Pro consists of two 1.42-inch screens with a pixel density of 3,400 ppi. These displays are also considered to be one of the key reasons behind the headset's hefty $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2,90,000) price tag, as the displays alone cost $456 (roughly Rs. 38,000).
If it comes to fruition, the screens on the more affordable Vision Pro would represent a big reduction compared to the existing version, but it could also lead to a lower overall price for the mixed reality headset.
