Apple Reportedly Suspends Work on Vision Pro 2

[stocklen]

Sorry but the product in its current form isnt going to have mass appeal.

Im not surprised they are suspending work on a Pro 2 when they havent sold many Pro 1s - but at that price point with its current use cases its just not worth that sort of money.

Although there are corners they can cut to make a non-pro version it still cant come anywhere near the price point of its main competitor being the Meta Quest 3.
There can be no doubt that the front screen is both useless and irrelevant and is a very easy thing to get rid of... will probably come off the pro too at some point - but they still need the cameras and most sensors for the experience to work.
The Quest 3 is functionally very similar to the AVP and for a fraction of the price.

When Apple make the non-pro, even if its at around 1,500 its still not going to compete with the Quest 3.

The only USP of an Apple ecosystem AR/VR headset is icloud integration - and yet are people really thinking that the headset paradigm is better or more easy to use than a mac or iOS device for notes, calendar, word processing etc?

Its main use case seems content consumption and its way too expensive for that.

 

[icanhazmac]

It's the HomePod all over again.

I would have launched the affordable one first and come out with the "Pro" later. All Apple did in both of these cases are alienate some of its customers by launching a "too expensive" product first and then making people feel bad about only being able to afford a lesser product. If the products had launched the other way around I don't think people would feel that way.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

The cheaper model could perhaps be powered by your iPhone. You have to carry a battery brick around with you anyways, so it might as well use the iPhone and perhaps it can also act as some kind of controller when hand/eye tracking isn't enough.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Sorry but the product in its current form isnt going to have mass appeal.

Im not surprised they are suspending work on a Pro 2 when they havent sold many Pro 1s - but at that price point with its current use cases its just not worth that sort of money.

Although there are corners they can cut to make a non-pro version it still cant come anywhere near the price point of its main competitor being the Meta Quest 3.
There can be no doubt that the front screen is both useless and irrelevant and is a very easy thing to get rid of... will probably come off the pro too at some point - but they still need the cameras and most sensors for the experience to work.
The Quest 3 is functionally very similar to the AVP and for a fraction of the price.

When Apple make the non-pro, even if its at around 1,500 its still not going to compete with the Quest 3.

The only USP of an Apple ecosystem AR/VR headset is icloud integration - and yet are people really thinking that the headset paradigm is better or more easy to use than a mac or iOS device for notes, calendar, word processing etc?

Its main use case seems content consumption and its way too expensive for that.

Here’s the painful reality: Apple could give these away for free and it still wouldn’t be a mainstream success. People aren’t generally willing to wear a big heavy headset over their faces to do stuff they can already do with an iPad.

 

[mlenger]

Personally I think this article is highly speculative and makes little sense.

 

[Laggy]

I could pay for it thr price of base MacBook Air, thats it

 

[NT1440]

Come on guys. One of the multiple internal prototypes got cancelled and a brain dead analyst misinterpreted this through a game of telephone as “there will be no Apple Vision Pro 2, only a lower cost version”.

This is MR, I would expect Apple enthusiasts would be aware of Apple’s internal hardware development process. There’s been enough interviews throughout the years to understand this.

Development of the platform and its various hardware implementations continues.

 

[BigKahunaBurguer]

It’s time for a new CEO and fresh air!!

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I thought this was the dawn of the era of spatial computing?

The term "spatial computing", when referring to VR, has been around since the early 90s, so naa.

 

[ducknalddon]

They need to just stop. Is this product really in demand? They didn't shoot past MS for most valuable company because of this product.

Yes, the whole thing has looked like a dead end to me right from the start.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Personally I think this article is highly speculative and makes little sense.

Any rumor article is going to have an element of speculation to it, but I’m curious why you think suspending development of a second generation of the product “makes little sense”? After all, we know that sell-through of the device has been sluggish and that there’s no significant buzz around it outside of tech sites like this one. I’d say the article is slightly speculative and makes a lot of sense.

 

[Iconoclysm]

The 60hz screens in the majority of iPhones, iPads, and laptops Apple sells say hello. Of course they'll cheap on the screens.

The displays in these, as well as the displays in the 60 Hz iPhones, are "capable" of 120 Hz. They don't cost less - and Apple has traditionally focused more on displays than anyone else in any of these markets. The displays in the Vision Pro cost $450 alone - they are 120 Hz displays that are locked at a speed that matches the other components.

 

[thekeyring]

Great news! I'm glad Apple is focusing on a cheaper Vision Pro headset. Hopefully, they'll ditch some of the expensive parts, like the front screen, to make it more affordable for everyone. This could make the tech accessible to more people!

Ditching the front facing screen does seem like low hanging fruit, but then they said not having you isolated from people around you was a "foundational design goal". Sounds like it's staying!

 

[thekeyring]

Apple didn’t drop the price though. Networks started subsidizing the iPhone to get them locked into 2 yr contracts.

Apple did drop the price, just the OP got the chronology a little off. iPhone price came down a few months after launch. Same for Apple Watch.

Aiming for $1,500 for regular, non-pro Apple Vision seems reasonable. It would certainly be tempting at that price, not out-of-the-question at the current $3k price.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Apple did drop the price, just the OP got the chronology a little off. iPhone price came down a few months after launch. Same for Apple Watch.

Aiming for $1,500 for regular, non-pro Apple Vision seems reasonable. It would certainly be tempting at that price, not out-of-the-question at the current $3k price.

No the price didn't come down, AT&T started subsidizing the cost and Apple therefor offered it for less, but you had to agree to a 2-year contract to get for the lower price. They (Apple) were charging the same price if you bought it off-contract until it was discontinued.

 

[iZac]

A Bigscreen Beyond style device with the compute unit & battery on an external puck please.

Without headphones, Apple can upsell customers with extra airpods too.

 

[Mr_Ed]

The term "spatial computing", when referring to VR, has been around since the early 90s, so naa.

Right. If “spatial computing” ever had a shot of being “a thing” for the average consumer, it would already be under way in the VR/AR/MR market. Apple used spatial computing as a marketing tool, then failed to show any practical benefits.

 

[RodThePlod]

That’s so sad, I love it but the fov could be better. I feel the price is the major let down. This means we won’t get anything better than what we have now, this is sad news. It should be £1999 max or even £1499 to sell well. £3499 is way to much for a headset no matter how good it is

We'll definitely get something better than what we have now. This is how tech works, right? And, anyway, Apple Vision will be lighter, and more affordable than Vison Pro - so arguably it's 'better' in some ways.

And after another generation, the follow-up Apple Vision will provide a much better experience than the original Vision Pro, with faster SOCs, etc. So it's all good!

Apple had to test the waters here, and this was part of Vision Pro's brief. If it means that there's a clearer way ahead for them, then I'm in. And if Apple Vision is under £2K, then count me in.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Aiming for $1,500 for regular, non-pro Apple Vision seems reasonable. It would certainly be tempting at that price, not out-of-the-question at the current $3k price.

$1,500 to wear a heavy headset over your face to do… what exactly?

 

[Iconoclysm]

Apple Car? HomePod? AirPower?

They didn't develop an OS and developer tools for the Apple Car, and actually launch the car. AirPower was merely an accessory and Homepod still exists today.

 

[paradox00]

Many of us have been saying this from the very beginning. The price is the LEAST of the Vision’s problems. The primary one is that it goes on your face. The next major problem is that it lacks any kind of compelling use case. Then come at least a dozen other serious issues before we even get to price.

A good personal cinema is worth a grand as it would be a step up from the xreals of the world. A laptop replacement is worth the value of the laptop it replaces plus a small premium (if they let update it to run Mac Apps). it does have or easily could have features that are compelling at lower price.

That said, there are many things inexplicably wrong with it though (including mac apps above). Having no (optional) VR controller support is a huge mistake, as is not launching fitness as a primary use case. I'm fine with Apple pushing spatial computing but they should have at least learned what use cases are actually working for other headsets and incorporated them. And spatial computing for a pro headset requires pro apps, yet Apple couldn't even be bothered to make VisionOS versions of their creative apps ahead of launch.

I guess I'm agreeing and disagreeing with you, there are some use cases that would be compelling at a lower price, but Apple needs to present a lot more.

 

[victorvictoria]

Smartest thing Apple could do. They've hit the point of diminishing returns as it applies to markup vs. volume. It makes sense to reverse course now, and go for volume generated by a consumer-affordable product.

 

[cdsapplefan]

Apple knows what they are doing. The iPhone and Apple Watch evolved and matured over 8 generations. This is only Generation 1 of the headset. 8 years from now this headset will have evolved physically and software wise. It will take time, but will get there

 

[cardfan]

Here’s the painful reality: Apple could give these away for free and it still wouldn’t be a mainstream success. People aren’t generally willing to wear a big heavy headset over their faces to do stuff they can already do with an iPad.

Yep. Even at 1500 I’d still have returned the avp. You cannot wait to take these off. Once you do you look like a wreck. Hungover or been in an accident. You need time to get your focus back. Hardly anyone is going to want this on their face to do spatial computing or routine tasks that can be done better on other devices comfortably.

That said the video is spectacular. That is why you endure it. But after awhile even this isn’t enough as the impressive stuff gets less impressive. But the pain of using this torture device remains the same.

I’m not sure how any exec is selling its future profitable path in a board room. It’s uphill. The snow is 6ft.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being true.