New Delhi: Apple’s plans for a more budget-friendly mixed reality headset may be further down the road than expected, according to the latest industry insights rumors of an affordable Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset have been circulating for months, sparking anticipation among tech enthusiasts. However, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now suggested that this lower-cost version won’t hit the market until at least 2027. Instead, Appel is reportedly gearing up to release an upgraded Vision Pro model quipped with an MS processor as early as next year.
In a recent post on Twitter, Kuo highlighted that Apple’s strategy to launch a budget version of its Vision Pro has shifted Apple has delayed its plans for a lower-cost Vision Pro beyond 2027 Kuo wrote, noting that a new version featuring the M5 chip is the only planned update for 2025. Kuo likened the anticipated budget model to the HomePod mini, which despite being a more affordable option, did not significantly boost Apple‘s smart speaker market share. Even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speaker failed to become a mainstream product, he stated the analyst hinted that simply lowering the price might not be enough to drive success for the headset.
The move seems to reflect Apple’s understanding that cost-cutting alone won’t create compelling use cases for new technology, the budget-friendly Vision Pro should it eventually be released is expected to come with a price tag of around $2,000 if we convert this into Indian currency then it will cost approximately Rs.1,68,000 which cost Indian people very high and they get a new Apple’s phone in this rupees. To achieve this lower cost, Apple might employ less expensive materials equip the device with less powerful chips, and remove features like Eyesight a standout element of the current Vision Pro that projects the user’s eyes onto the front display.
The quality of the internal display may also be reduced to maintain a more accessible price point, the first generation of Apple Vision Pro launched at WWDC 2023 comes with a starting price of $3,499 (roughly Rs.2,90,000) for the base 256GB model. It also offers a higher storage option of 512GB and 1TB the premium headset runs on Apple’s M2 processor and R1 chip and is operated using visionOS supporting both augmented reality and virtual reality functions.
Kuo’s insights suggest that Apple is prioritizing the refinement of its high-end Vision Pro lineup rather than rushing a budget model to market. This approach could be tied to ensuring robust user engagement and demonstrating the practical applications of mixed reality technology before expanding its offerings. Apple’s Vision Pro has already rolled out in a few markets, including the U.S., China, Europe, and Japan.
