① The price of the new Vision device will be benchmarked against high-end iPhones, while reducing the weight by one-third. ② Previously, Apple had substantially reduced its shipment expectations for Vision Pro this year. ③ The next Vision device is expected to be released by the end of 2025, but the current development progress has not yet solved the core issues, and there is still a possibility of further delay.
On June 19th, Cailian Press reported (editor Shi Zhengcheng) that just before the first-generation Apple Vision Pro was about to debut in more markets, the technology media The Information broke the news on Tuesday that due to poor market feedback, the next generation of Vision Pro has entered a "remote" state, and Apple is currently focusing on launching a head-mounted display product that more people can afford.
As soon as the news came out, many technology media outlets immediately applauded and said that the future of this product line is "even brighter."
Expected progress.
According to industry insiders cited by The Information, due to the sluggish sales of Vision Pro since its launch this year, Apple has suspended the development of the next generation of top-end head-mounted display devices. It is reported that in the past year, Apple has been lowering the priority of developing "Vision Pro 2."
The reason behind it is well known. After Vision Pro was launched in the US market in February this year, well-known technology analyst Guo Mingchi revealed just two months later that Apple had cut its shipping expectations for this year to 400,000-450,000 units, half of the earlier expectation of 800,000. The sharp drop in demand in the US market has also made Apple pessimistic about demand in the international market.
Looking back at the reports in the past few months, we can realize the issues with this product: expensive price (starting at $3,500 / RMB 30,000) and heavy body weight, which most people find unacceptable.
It is reported that a key supplier of Vision Pro reduced its output by half after receiving Apple's forecast in May this year. The information from this supplier shows that Apple's Vision Pro production this year will not exceed 500,000 units, and there is no plan to significantly increase production before August.
Focus on popularizing Vision devices.
There is another side to this story. With the temporary shelving of the "Vision Pro 2" project, the next Apple head-mounted display device will inevitably be aimed at a wider audience. It is well known that Apple does have a "N109" Vision device in its development pipeline, which aims to retain the high-resolution display of Vision Pro while cutting costs by eliminating a series of features.
Previously, another well-known technology reporter, Gurman, revealed that the entry-level Vision device is priced between $1,500 and $2,500. But according to the latest news release, Apple seems to have begun to pay more attention to consumers' affordability, and hopes that the new Vision device will be priced in line with the "high-end iPhone." The top model of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at $1,600 (RMB 14,000).
Another key change will be that the weight of the new Vision device will be "at least a third lighter" and some sensors, microphones, and other hardware will be reduced. The Information also stated that although the release of this new device is estimated to be at the end of 2025, Apple has not yet achieved the goal of reducing costs while avoiding cutting too many features, so the specific release date may still be delayed.
Regarding this trend, the well-known Apple news website 9to5mac said that this move can make the future of Apple's head-mounted display products "even brighter."
The website stated that a more affordable and portable Vision product can truly bring the Vision platform to the public on a large scale, which is something that Vision Pro can never achieve. If the cheaper Vision model succeeds, it will mean the success of the entire platform and create a larger market for the more powerful next-generation Vision Pro. Given that the iPhone and Apple Watch both started with basic models and then launched high-end models after cultivating their customer bases, Apple's earlier release of Vision Pro was already strange.
9to5mac concluded that this is a comprehensive benefit for Vision Pro, and the only downside is that users who have become fans of Vision Pro may have to wait longer for the next generation of products. However, if the new entry-level device can bring a more powerful application ecosystem, more immersive videos, and a stronger visual operating system to the Vision platform, then the delayed "Vision Pro 2" is definitely worth the wait.