The problem isn't bringing the price down, but what sort of sacrifices need to be made in order to reach that price point. Apple most certainly isn't going to sell it at a loss. If you end up neutering the product to the point where it's no better than the other VR headsets on the market, then what's the point?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Reportedly Suspends Work on Vision Pro 2
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I could be wrong but I have a suspicion the horrific, obscene, elitist, out-of-touch, and greedy pricing might be affecting the uptake.
You are correct.
My best guess is actually that the price, $3.499, is not too much for the target demographic.
Even those who don't have thousands burning a hole in their pocket would not hesitate to commit to a payment plan or loan to pay for a new, high-end $1.000-$3.499 Mac, iPhone, or iPad if they really wanted it.
People go in debt every for a lot more than $3.499 to buy the things that they want.
However, at $3.499, AVP gets pitted against purchasing a new Mac, iPhone, iPad or even PC and can't compete on value/$.
I think this is underlined by the fact that AVP is a completely new product category for Apple and consumers at large, one that mainstream consumers aren't familiar with and one that isn't easy to place in a familiar box.
But looking at it as a computer, the 256/16 at $3.499 is a lot to ask. Particularly considering that the user has to own or buy a new Mac to use AVP as a desktop or laptop Mac.
No matter the reason, the sales numbers aren't there.
You don’t believe it. The said you’re sure they’ll do what the article says?
Ditch the glass, ditch the external display. Keep the same internal displays, keep the high res passthrough cameras. Supply it with a basic strap, simplify the frame and reduce the number of components by combining chips (standard practice). This will simplify manufacture and reduce costs they need to get costs down to $960 so they can sell it for $1600 to make the usual profit. They could also sell a load of coloured straps, knitted straps, cases etc to top up profits.
But where is the usecase? The displays need to be as good as the ones used in the AVP. Since if you want to replace workstation monitors, you need a super high resolution with a high quality display.
There are rumors that Apple may change the design 😬
Why? They knew what they were getting and not one single person had to buy this device.
Remember 3D televisions? No? Well, I think one big problem was that you had to wear 3D glasses. Same with the AVP.
Indeed… and I'll add, also for infantilized adults… and that's a growing market. Globally. 😬
Makes sense. Meta is killing it in the VR market. Since the Vision Pro launch Meta has updated the quest 3 to perform even closer to the Vision Pro all for only 499 and with a huge library of games and software. They will be launching a quest 3s this year with the same power as the quest 3 but the lenses from the quest 2 at a price of 299.
Got a Quest 2 for my kids during the holidays last year. It’s amazing for the price. Originally we used it every day for a week or so after getting it. Then it was maybe a few times a week and now it’s about once a month. We all still say wow this is awesome and amazing when we use it but we just don’t feel like making the effort to put it on our heads for a quick session. This was the problem with 3D tvs and this is the problem with VR.
Got a Quest 2 for my kids during the holidays last year. It’s amazing for the price. Originally we used it every day for a week or so after getting it. Then it was maybe a few times a week and now it’s about once a month. We all still say wow this is awesome and amazing when we use it but we just don’t feel like making the effort to put it on our heads for a quick session. This was the problem with 3D tvs and this is the problem with VR.
Last edited:
In a discord group I am in, one member described what he used his Vision Pro for.
Granted, it's a sample size of one, but always refreshing to hear something refreshing from a person who is actually using one and genuinely enjoying the experience.
There has been a vocal subset here trashing anything/everything since Day 1. Every forum has that loud minority of posters. “We called this a failure since Day 1 and every update since will be pretzeled to reinforce that. The AVP was dead, is dead, will never be updated, v2.0 is a hoax (just got that on Reddit) has a scientifically confirmed 76% return rate and Apple has already shelved it, and you better admit we’re right.”
Rage addicts. They flood social media hating everything. People who don’t like the strap or think it’s too heavy for them are normal users. These people feel joy from rage and exist that way about everything.
The 76% told me all I need to know. His Uncle Joe knew two people out of three who returned them, so IT HAS A 66% RETURN RATE. The motive of the fellow poster and the ridiculousness of the lengths they will go to post something damaging shows how much effort needs to be put into the response.
To your point, I don’t care about buzz at this point. I literally don’t. Apple Watch had very little buzz with V0. If Pro 1 let’s them iron out kinks, expand immersive content (it’s solid so far) and build a library, get an established infrastructure in place, get a less expensive Air 1 out to users that makes improvements as well as on size and price, and then follows with a Pro 2 in the years ahead, excellent. They’re not giving up on immersive content or augmented reality. Whatever form it comes in or looks like, Apple will be there. This isn’t a one off stereo or trying to build a car when the entertainment center is all you need, or a charger that doesn’t work. One way or another, this is the future, and Apple will be there.
You fashion yourself an expert on what people want. You personally hate the AVP. That’s all good. Personally, I find it less isolating. I can lay in bed with my sleeping wife and not wake her as opposed to being a floor away. They’ll get lighter and more comfortable. I’m not worried about that.
You seem to have super secret polling that shows all consumers agree with you. Uncle Joe again?
The article doesn’t say that. The headline couldn’t even hold it together on clickbait. Based on a single supplier to boot.
With respect, the MR top commenters are not the representative of the mainstream. 😂
Apple needs to come in at a low, low price or people won’t buy anything? Interesting.
I hope they continue developing this product. I use it daily for work.
They need to make the next version lighter with a better battery. It would also be nice if they could solve the screen tearing and somewhat fuzzy nature of the "real world" when using it.
They need to make the next version lighter with a better battery. It would also be nice if they could solve the screen tearing and somewhat fuzzy nature of the "real world" when using it.
I'll bet you if it were more affordable, say the cost of an iPhone or MacBook Air, you'd buy one and the demand would be high.
Agree 100% about the sharpness of the screen and refresh rate. They need to fix some of the screen tearing as well.
Love how all these numbnuts believe anything that's written on "The Internet". Information reports? Ok so Apple told them yeah right. Or they heard from someone at Apple again Yeah right. And the articles written after the first BS article continues on with made up bs and more.
Apple has suspended work on the second-generation Vision Pro headset to singularly focus on a cheaper model, The Information reports.
Apple was widely believed to have plans to divide its Vision product line into two models, with one "Pro" model and one lower-cost standard model. The company is said to have been deprioritizing the next Vision Pro headset over the past year, gradually assigning fewer employees to the project.
Apple first shifted focus to reducing the cost of the first-generation model's components and creating an upgraded display for the next model. Now, the company has apparently told at least one of its suppliers that it has suspended work on the next-generation of its Vision Pro headset. It still is continuing work on a more affordable "Vision" product with fewer features.
The company purportedly began work on a cheaper Vision device in 2022 with the codename "N109." The objective is to sell this model for around the same price as a high-end iPhone, which retails for up to $1,600. At the time Apple began work on the device, it sought to release it at the end of 2024, but as of earlier this year, it still did not have a firm prototype. The company is said to have been struggling to find ways to reduce the model's costs without sacrificing too many features, which means that it will likely slip beyond its revised release date of the end of 2025.
Apple apparently wants to retain the Vision Pro's high-end display components in the low-cost model, which are among the most expensive components in the device. MacRumors previously reported that the cheaper model will feature the same high-end displays as the Vision Pro, but with fewer cameras, a simpler headband, and smaller speakers. Apple also wants to make its cheaper headset at least one-third lighter than the Vision Pro.
One supplier that makes key components for the Vision Pro apparently cut production by 50% in May after receiving a forecast from Apple that predicted weaker demand than expected. Information from this supplier suggests that Apple has produced no more than 500,000 Vision Pro units this year, with no plans to make significantly more than this through August.
The Information says that it is still possible Apple will resume work on a second-generation Vision Pro headset at some point in the future.
Article Link: Apple Reportedly Suspends Work on Vision Pro 2
It says they’re scaling back development of pro 2 to focus on a cheaper alternative.