When will a cheaper Apple Vision Pro be available?
Quick Summary
Apple expert Mark Gurman doesn't expect the company to launch a new version of its Vision Pro headset until the end of 2026 at the earliest.
And the company is currently "flummoxed" on how to bring the cost down.
Ever since the Apple Vision Pro price was revealed, rumours on a cheaper model have flown around the internet. But the likelihood of getting one in the next year are slim to nil.
Not is an Apple Vision Pro 2 not expected until the end of 2026 at the earliest, Apple is currently "flummoxed" on how to get the cost down while maintaining a similar level of experience.
That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Apple expert claims in his latest Power On newsletter that the company's immediate roadmap doesn't currently include a second-generation model. And it is still "trying to figure out a way to being a cheaper version to market".
There will be new software in the meantime, however. Apple will reportedly introduce visionOS 2.0 this year – possibly in the latter months, after a tease at WWDC 2024 in June.
It won't be a major "game changer", writes Gurman, but it could coincide with a wider rollout of the existing Vision Pro.
The current headset is still not available outside the United States, although we understand that a launch in China is on the cards and soon. That could herald an international rollout too, including to the UK later this year.
That is probably more than enough for Apple to concentrate on for now – after all, why speed up production of a replacement when the first-gen device isn't even available worldwide?
As for a cheaper model, Gurman's comment suggests that while Apple is working on a standard Apple Vision headset (as it could be called), it doesn't want to make compromises on the quality and, especially, its capabilities.
Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said (via MacRumors) that he thinks a modified model could enter production at the end of next year for an early 2026 launch, but maybe we'll have to wait until the full next-gen version arrives. That way the price of the original could be slashed to become the entry-level alternative.
After all, that's a technique Apple has employed in the past, ranging last-gen devices alongside their replacements to provide a cheaper option.
Either way, it's not worth holding your breath just yet.
