Apple’s Vision Pro is a tremendous experience but it’s also one that you have to pay through the nose for. We’re not the only ones who seem to think so — The Information has a report claiming that Apple has opted to suspend development of the Vision Pro’s successor in favour of something more folks can afford.
The report, if true, isn’t all that surprising. Apple scaled back production of its augmented reality hardware soon after it was announced, perhaps because it’s hard to convince even iPhone fans to part with $3,500 for something experimental. Even if it is awesome.
That takes some Vision Pro
The claims that the Vision Pro is taking a backseat come via an unnamed Apple employee and another in the hardware’s supply chain. A more affordable version of the headset, which was supposed to debut with the Pro, is now taking precedence.
The target price point for this lighter but less feature-filled hardware is around $1,600. That’s nearly R30,000, which is in line with a high-end smartphone’s costs in 2024. There might be more takers at that price point, even if the experience is a little muted.
In the meantime, the Vision Pro is supposed to officially travel to countries outside the UK and States before the end of June. It’ll travel to China, Japan, Australia, and several European countries, where Apple will get a better idea of the Pro’s potential popularity. Focusing on putting more devices into fans’ hands would seem to make sense but perhaps not at the expense of the user experience. Such a move might kill off enthusiasm for the technology before it even really starts.
