Could a New Apple Vision Pro Come This Year?

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According to recent reports from Mark Gurman, Apple may be planning to release a lighter, more affordable version of its Vision Pro headset this year. In the latest episode of MacBreak Weekly, Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, Alex Lindsay, and Jason Snell dove into this possibility, debating what compromises might be necessary to bring a "Vision Air" to market and whether it would be positioned as a replacement or cheaper alternative to the original.

The Balancing Act: Performance vs. Price

The discussion on MacBreak Weekly highlighted a crucial question: how can Apple reduce the Vision Pro's $3,500 price tag without compromising its core experience? Alex Lindsay, who uses his Vision Pro daily, expressed concern that the current device is already pushing its performance limits, particularly when handling high-resolution content like 8K per eye at 90 frames per second.

"The current Apple Vision Pro can barely play that out," Lindsay noted. "If you pull back at all in processing... you can no longer play stuff that there's tons of content for and you absolutely see the difference."

This creates a dilemma for Apple. To succeed in a broader market, the Vision Air needs a significantly lower price point—perhaps below $2,000 or ideally closer to $1,500. However, cutting too many corners could undermine the device's value proposition.

Potential Cost-Cutting Measures

The hosts suggested several areas where Apple might find savings:

• Removing the external display: The EyeSight feature, which shows a representation of the user's eyes on an external screen, could be eliminated.
• Using different materials: Premium materials could be swapped for more cost-effective alternatives.
• Simplifying sensors: Some of the less essential sensors might be removed or downgraded.

Interestingly, processing power might actually improve rather than decrease. As Jason Snell pointed out, "If you think about how would they cut costs, what chip would they put in to cut costs? It's got an M2 in it now. An M4 or an M5 is going to be an upgrade in processing power."

The Content Challenge

Beyond hardware considerations, the hosts emphasized that content availability remains a critical factor in the Vision Pro ecosystem's success. Andy Ihnatko argued that the current $3,500 price point limits the headset to a boutique market, making it difficult to generate widespread content development.

"I don't think there are a lot of people who are interested in $3,500 to $4,000 to enjoy whatever tiny little breadcrumbs of immersive content are going to be available," Ihnatko said.

Lindsay countered that Apple should follow Epic Games' approach with Unreal Engine, where substantial grants kickstarted an ecosystem of developers and content. "Apple has the money to do that and they need to. They need to engage the market," he said.

A Strategic Necessity

Despite disagreements about execution, the hosts agreed that Apple needs to expand the Vision platform to a broader audience. The current Vision Pro, while technologically impressive, remains out of reach for most consumers.

A Vision Air that maintains the core experience while substantially reducing the price could help build critical mass for the platform—assuming Apple can thread the needle between performance and affordability.

As consumers await more official news, the question remains: Can Apple deliver a more accessible spatial computing experience without compromising what makes the Vision Pro special?

What's Next

With competitors like Meta continuing to advance their mixed reality efforts, including updates to products like the Ray-Ban smart glasses, Apple faces increasing pressure to expand its spatial computing ecosystem. Whether the Vision Air arrives this year as rumored or later, it represents a crucial step in Apple's long-term strategy for wearable computing.

For now, potential buyers will have to wait and see if Apple can transform its "boutique" headset into something that appeals to a mainstream audience—without sacrificing the magic that makes it worthwhile in the first place.