If Apple gives up making a cheaper Vision Pro, its $3,500 headset could be doomed

Date:
Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
Apple is reportedly ditching its cheaper Vision Pro to focus on AR glasses, and that could have worrying consequences.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Anyone who's been paying attention to Apples Vision Pro headset over the last couple of years knows that its customers have been crying out for a lighter, more affordable version . The current model hasnt sold anywhere close to the numbers Apple was hoping for, thanks in large part to its weight and cost.
Its clear that carrying on as normal simply isnt going work.

And yet it looks like thats exactly what Apple is planning to do. According
to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman , Apple has shelved plans for a lighter and more affordable Vision Pro at least temporarily while it works on a set of top-secret augmented reality (AR) glasses . And with no release date in sight for the slimmed-down Vision Pro, it puts Apples headset into dangerously choppy waters.

While AR glasses are clearly the better bet when it comes to future tech that has the potential to go mainstream, I cant help thinking that this decision has sounded the death knell for the Vision Pro. Whether thats good news or
bad depends on your viewpoint, but one thing is for sure: I doubt Apple ever thought it would end up here. Obvious failings (Image credit: Apple)

On paper, the Vision Pro is an incredible device. It packs in stunning visuals, fantastic features and capabilities, a genius gesture control
system, phenomenal performance, and it all ties in perfectly with your other Apple devices. Its impressively well-rounded and beats many of its rivals in
a variety of ways.

Yet this is no perfect product, and its had some very obvious failings since its 2023 launch. For one thing, its extremely expensive at $3,499. While
thats somewhat understandable due to its top-tier components and features,
its a price thats still almost impossible to justify for most people.

The headset is also noticeably heavy , and many users have complained of head and neck strain after just an hour or two of using it. That should be a loud warning siren for anyone, Apple included. (Image credit: Apple)

Throw in a worrying lack of dedicated content and youve got a device thats struggling to make itself relevant. When customers can choose between a $300 Meta Quest 3 which we rated five stars in our review and a $3,499 Apple Vision Pro, I expect most will go for the former in a heartbeat. Sure, the latter is much more high-end, but its price is also ten times higher. Is it really ten times more capable? Does it offer ten times more content? I dont think so.

There has been talk for some time that Apple is working on a lighter, cheaper version of the Vision Pro that will offset some of these issues. That makes sense you dont need deep insider knowledge to see that something has to change, and that these areas are the most important.

But with Apple apparently ditching this device to focus on AR glasses, the future of the Vision Pro has been thrown into question. Yes, Apple is
rumoured to be working on a new version with a faster chip, but that will do nothing to fix its outstanding problems after all, this model is expected to be nothing more than a simple chip upgrade, with no further changes to the headsets design. Performance isnt an issue. Weight and price are. Doomed from the start? (Image credit: Future)

Without addressing the elephant(s) in the room, the Vision Pro is in a really tough spot. Its so expensive that youre unlikely to know many people who own one. That means you cant just go to a friends house and try one on to see if you want it. You instead have to go to an Apple Store, where youll likely
have less time to play around with it, plus a much more sanitized experience from Apple that might not give you all the info you need to make an informed purchasing decision.

Even if you do know someone who already has a Vision Pro, $3,499 is way above what most people can afford. You might love it to bits but still walk away unconvinced that its worth the considerable outlay. The pricing automatically makes it niche because the bar to entry is so dauntingly high.

But with the Vision Pro, you not only have a niche product, but one that can also get uncomfortable to wear. Apple has an optional head strap that can better distribute the weight, and Gurman believes the company is preparing a new strap system that aims to make the device feel lighter during extended use. But that doesnt fix the underlying issue of the devices bulk. You can make the weight a little easier to bear, but its still there. (Image credit: Shutterstock / Girts Ragelis)

Gurmans argument is that Apple is a company focused on shipping mainstream products and that There is nothing mainstream about a too-heavy and unaffordable headset. This is true, but if the Vision Pro is not for mainstream audiences, why did Apple position it as the future of
mixed-reality headsets?

Apple does release non-mainstream devices just look at the Mac Pro . That computer isnt expected to sell in great numbers, but its popular enough among its very specific target audience. Can we say the same of the Vision Pro?

It feels like Apple has aimed for a niche and failed to deliver, ultimately meaning the Vision Pro has a vanishingly small customer base. And without putting that right, Apple seems to be abandoning the Vision Pro to its fate.

Ultimately, well probably get a much better device in the form of AR glasses, and Apple can speed up work on this product by moving engineers away from its failing headset. But it will only get there by stepping on whats left of the Vision Pro. For such an ambitious product, thats a real shame.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the
Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. You might also like Apple has reportedly abandoned the Vision Pro 2 to make smart glasses, but I'm worried they'll repeat the same mistakes Bono says Apple wants to make the Vision Pro 'more affordable', so what's the holdup? Vision Pro at one I love Apple's revolutionary headset, so why do I hardly ever use it?



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/if-apple -gives-up-making-a-cheaper-vision-pro-its-usd3-500-headset-could-be-doomed


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)