Gurman: Low-Cost Vision Pro Model to Drop EyeSight and M-Series Chip

[Mac_The_Ripper]

Every time I see that stock photo of the AVP I laugh my ass off. Apple has enough money to launch multiple generations of this headset regardless of low sales but mark my words, gen 1 is not going to be commercially successful. The return rate will be well over 50% on this.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

Can we stop calling this “the low cost Apple Vision Pro”?
It’s painfully obvious it’s gonna be called the Apple Vision

 

[Audentia]

What sets the VP and other headsets apart is its quality. I seriously doubt they're going to lower screens' res and computing power.

yes exactly. this rumor doesn't make any sense

 

[rosuna]

What’s going to be the point of this device if it’s just a slightly nicer Oculus? The extra features are what makes it unique. If they can’t do that at a price point that’s currently feasible that just means they’ve released it a few years too early. Releasing a hamstrung product is pointless.

The Apple Vision Max Pro:

 

[Boeingfan]

Otherwise known as beer goggles 😂

 

[Ctrlos]

I just wish they'd concentrate their efforts on sorting out existing glaring issues like Siri than blowing huge amounts of time and money on stuff like this

I can see why the product exists. Over the last few years Apple have gone from the cool new boyfriend to dependable husband. You still love them and want them around but they’re not setting anyone’s world on fire.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with building a company that endlessly builds solid reliable products (just ask Sony) but a brand that is seen as the forefront of innovation needs to at least make it look like its leading the industry Into new territory.

Samsung have arguably taken their place in the mobile space as dictating where they at least think things should go and the number of companies jumping on the foldable bandwagon suggests that they are onto something. Dependable Apple cannot be seen as building something as fragile as a foldable phone though so need to look elsewhere.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

What’s going to be the point of this device if it’s just a slightly nicer Oculus? The extra features are what makes it unique. If they can’t do that at a price point that’s currently feasible that just means they’ve released it a few years too early. Releasing a hamstrung product is pointless.

What makes it unique is the fact it's higher quality over Meta's headsets. Even with the resolution decrease and getting rid of that creepy eye display it's still better quality than a Quest 3. Quest 3 is a great headset but it's clearly meant primarily for VR from how it's resolution is handled, leaving traditional content consumption through it much to be desired.

A better headset to compare the consumer model Apple Vision to would be the Bigscreen Beyond.

This is a lightweight headset with high resolution designed primarily for consuming media. It features OLED microdisplays with 2560 x 2560 pixels per eye, and costs $1000. But here's the problem: It requires a VR ready PC, AND Valve's Lighthouse base stations used for the HTC Vive and Valve Index. So while the headset itself costs $1000, the PC required to drive the headset will cost an additional $1000, and then of course you need base stations which is another $500, and said base stations require a 2x2 meter playspace, which most people don't have. That is a high barrier of entry just to have a lightweight high resolution headset.

So a consumer model Apple Vision that was $1500 would be a much better alternative to the Beyond, since the Vision is standalone not requiring a PC, and it doesn't need base stations. Just take it out of the box and put it on and you're already using it. No additional setup required.

 

[rosuna]

Just take it out of the box and put it on and you're already using it. No additional setup required.

Using for what, that is the question.

 

[Macalicious2011]

This is a $3500 computer monitor for ONE person that requires a tethered battery with less than 2 hours of charge, and still requires at least a Macbook to use in any meaningful way.

Apple will need to find product market fit and do so quickly. Will it be in:

-Gaming: Unlikely
-Productivity: Unlikely. Csnt imagine editing spreadsheets or touch typing document being quick.
-3D style content: Likely. Apple are inverting heavily into content for apple tv plus including sports. They also have relationships with partiets and could buy rights to produce 3D style concerts.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Using for what, that is the question.

Whatever you want lmao. Myself I wanna use my Apple Vision to replace everything my iPad does, which is viewing the social media app formerly known as "Twitter," and consuming media content on streaming platforms. The Vision is just a tool, so what that tool is used for, that's up to you.

 

[4nNtt]

I just wish they'd concentrate their efforts on sorting out existing glaring issues like Siri than blowing huge amounts of time and money on stuff like this

Not the same skill sets, but Apple seems to also be focused on improving Siri as part of their Vision Pro efforts. There were significant updates to Siri just released.

 

[rosuna]

Apple will need to find product market fit and do so quickly. Will it be in:

-Gaming: Unlikely
-Productivity: Unlikely. Csnt imagine editing spreadsheets or touch typing document being quick.
-3D style content: Likely. Apple are inverting heavily into content for apple tv plus including sports. They also have relationships with partiets and could buy rights to produce 3D style concerts.

Very weak and thin potential market...

The Vision Pro has to evolve quickly to another type of device, or it will be a huge market failure.

 

[rosuna]

Whatever you want lmao. Myself I wanna use my Apple Vision to replace everything my iPad does, which is viewing the social media app formerly known as "Twitter," and consuming media content on streaming platforms. The Vision is just a tool, so what that tool is used for, that's up to you.

So Apple sells to you a problem for $3,500.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Will the base model just be called iVision?

 

[4nNtt]

Apple will need to find product market fit and do so quickly. Will it be in:

-Gaming: Unlikely
-Productivity: Unlikely. Csnt imagine editing spreadsheets or touch typing document being quick.
-3D style content: Likely. Apple are inverting heavily into content for apple tv plus including sports. They also have relationships with partiets and could buy rights to produce 3D style concerts.

Productivity will certainly be a huge part of this. It is the first headset able to do these tasks comfortably both in terms of hardware and the first headset with a real multitasking windowing interface. It supports faster UI interaction via eye tracking then mouse or touchscreen. Select those spreadsheet cells just by looking at them and a tap of your hand in a resting position.

Gaming likely will be as good as any other headset. The R1 should enable good hand tracking. There is still the question of haptics, but complex motion controllers are not needed. There will likely be support for OpenVR titles similar to Meta Quest Link via Virtual Desktop.

There will be 3D apps, but this will be the first headset that gives good pass through so you are not fumbling around the room, the first with good font rendering- a difficult task when you can view at any angle and zoom level, and the first that can run non-VR apps well to proved a more rounded experience.

This doesn’t need to replace existing devices in the first or second generations. It will already be significantly supply constrained with the cutting edge tech it uses.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Very weak potential market...

It is. Essentially they are trying to revive 3D TVs which died a quiet death.

For productivity it's unfortunate that full sized mac OS apps can only be accessed if you tether the vision pro to your macbook.

Therefore, in order to access microsoft excel on an airplane, you need to:
-Ensure that macbook is charged
-Ensure that $3,500 vision pro is charged.
-Take both out of your bag, connect both using airplay.

Then when lunch is served you need to pack everything away which isn't as quick as, sliding an ipad with a keyboard case into the storage pocket infront of you.

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

Productivity will certainly be a huge part of this. It is the first headset able to do these tasks comfortably both in terms of hardware and the first headset with a real multitasking windowing interface.

Gaming likely will be as good as any other headset. The R1 should enable good hand tracking. There is still the question of haptics. There will likely be support for OpenVR titles similar to Meta Quest Link via Virtual Desktop.

There will be 3D apps, but this will be the first headset that gives good pass through so you are not fumbling around the room, the first with good font rendering- a difficult task when you can view at any angle and zoom level, and the first that can run non-VR apps well to proved a more rounded experience.

This doesn’t need to replace existing devices in the first or second generations. It will already be significantly supply constrained with the cutting edge tech it uses.

How many AAA titles will be available on APV?

 

[StupidOpinion]

i seriously doubt this. the M-basic chip exists even on the lowest end mac product, the mac mini. unless if apple went for barebones for the cheaper model and made it plastic and low res, i don't see this happening. and tbh, i don't see how apple can even downgrade any specs of the current vision pro without getting beat by the meta quest pro or quest 3.

 

[CarAnalogy]

What sets the VP and other headsets apart is its quality. I seriously doubt they're going to lower screens' res and computing power.

Exactly. There’s no rush to be successful with this device. Rather than reducing its specs, better to wait for its specs to become more affordable because they keep investing in the technology.

I don’t think this is going to be a profitable device for Apple for a long time, if you count the R&D and opportunity costs of choosing to work on it instead of their other products.

 

[Dionte]

Called it. Knew the external eye display would be the first thing cut for the consumer model. It’s such a pointless addition that does nothing but complicate the manufacturing process and turns people off from the HMD for how creepy it looks.

I’m gonna stand in the bathroom mirror and just stare at my creepy eyes.

 

[rosuna]

It is. Essentially they are trying to revive 3D TVs which died a quiet death.

For productivity it's unfortunate that full sized mac OS apps can only be accessed if you tether the vision pro to your macbook.

Therefore, in order to access microsoft excel on an airplane, you need to:
-Ensure that macbook is charged
-Ensure that $3,500 vision pro is charged.
-Take both out of your bag, connect both using airplay.

Then when lunch is served you need to pack everything away which isn't as quick as, sliding an ipad with a keyboard case into the storage pocket infront of you.

... and in a plane you don't have enough room for moving your arms and hands.

 

[4nNtt]

Exactly. There’s no rush to be successful with this device. Rather than reducing its specs, better to wait for its specs to become more affordable because they keep investing in the technology.

I don’t think this is going to be a profitable device for Apple for a long time, if you count the R&D and opportunity costs of choosing to work on it instead of their other products.

I just wouldn’t speculate. It is possible they would have a good reason to use a particular chip. All that really matters is how well the end product works.

 

[4nNtt]

... and in a plane you don't have enough room for moving your hands.

You rarely need to move your hands. Eye tracking is the primary form of input. Check out the reviews and demos. The novel input method is a key reason this may be picked up for productivity applications.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Very weak and thin potential market...

The Vision Pro has to evolve quickly to another type of device, or it will be a huge market failure.

So Apple sells to you a problem for $3,500.

You sound like the hater comments when the original iPad was revealed. They said the same thing that "Apple was selling you a problem" and that it was just pointless since it was "just an upscaled iPod Touch."

 

[TheNewLou]

What sets the VP and other headsets apart is its quality. I seriously doubt they're going to lower screens' res and computing power.

The current Vision Pro is using an M2. Will the A18 Pro or A19 Pro be any slower? Yes, it'll be an iPhone CPU, but they'll have progressed by the time this Vision Pro Lite comes out. And they'll be on the 3nm process, so they'll use less battery.

So, just because it's using an iPhone CPU doesn't mean they're "lowering computing power". This is 2-3 years in the future.

And "lower screens' res"... by how much, exactly?