The mixed reality viewer Apple Vision Pro, made its debut in February with a price tag of $3,499. Despite Apple’s efforts to make the Vision Pro popular, it remains “an expensive niche product,” according to Mark Gurman, chief correspondent at Bloomberg.
In Sunday’s edition of Power OnGurman revealed new details about Apple’s strategy to sell more units of the Vision Pro.
According to him, Apple’s Vision Product Group from the beginning planned to launch the Vision Pro and then a cheaper version.
The group is now focused on developing a more affordable headset, which could cost between $1,500 and $2,000. Gurman stated that Apple intends to launch it at the end of 2025 and that he had that plan before announcing the Vision Pro.
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Although the cheapest version of the Vision Pro sells for $1,500, it will be three times more expensive than the Meta Quest 3 and more than seven times more expensive than the Meta Quest 2, which has sold at least 20 million units.
Bloomberg was not the only outlet to detect Apple’s push to create a cheaper mixed reality headset. The Information also published a report last week confirming that Apple intends to release a less expensive version by the end of 2025.
Although the initial stock of the Vision Pro, with around 200,000 pre-orders, was sold out, the product has sold less than expected. In April, analysts slashed their Vision Pro shipment projections for the rest of the year, from around 700,000 units to about half that (between 400,000 and 450,000 shipments).
The Vision Pro received mixed reviews and average or above-average return rates for Apple products from its first buyers. Customers who returned it did not like the weight of the device, the current lack of apps, and the quality of the screen.
At its annual developer conference earlier this month, Apple announced that the Vision Pro will soon be available internationally, which could help boost sales.
China, Hong Kong and Singapore will have access to the Vision Pro later this month; France, Germany, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom will have access to it next month.
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