Foreign media provides advice to Apple on how to reduce costs and make VisionPro affordable

On June 12th, Apple announced the launch of its first hybrid reality head display VisionPro, priced at up to $3500. This price is too expensive for ordinary consumers, and Apple needs to lower the price to make more people accept the new product

On June 12th, Apple announced the launch of its first hybrid reality head display VisionPro, priced at up to $3500. This price is too expensive for ordinary consumers, and Apple needs to lower the price to make more people accept the new product. So, how should Apple do it?

Although VisionPro has very powerful technology and features, selling it at a price seven times that of its competitors cannot fully realize its full potential and cannot have a true future.

When Apple announced the price of this headset, there was a cry of surprise from Apple Park. Consumers and commentators have criticized this price, and Apple lacks persuasive pricing.

Image source: Apple official website

Mike Rockwell, Apple's executive in charge of the project, said before revealing the price: "Even if you purchase the latest state of the art new TV, surround sound system, powerful computer with multiple high-definition displays, high-end cameras, and so on, you cannot achieve the level of functionality provided by VisionPro

Although this statement may be true, it is quite misleading. After all, television is for sharing, while VisionPro is only designed for individual users. Anyone who purchases a 'space computer' may already have a high-end Mac, monitor, and smartphone with a camera.

Undoubtedly, Apple considered announcing the price of VisionPro several months after WWDC to avoid negative reports. But in the end, the company decided that if the pricing was not disclosed at the press conference, it would become a bigger target for attack. Before the launch of VisionPro, consumers now had nine months to consider.

Apple analyst Mark Gurman said that although we believe the device has received good publicity, Apple could have focused on the idea that this technology is still in its early stages and expensive. If the pricing were lower, its investment in developing this product (estimated to exceed $15 billion) would be at a loss. Comparing VisionPro with televisions, monitors, cameras, and computers is like comparing apples with oranges, which is somewhat unrealistic.

However, in a few years, these issues may not have any practical significance. Gulman revealed as early as January that Apple is already developing a cheaper headphone, which will help it sell more new devices. And the name 'VisionPro' even suggests that Apple may be developing non Pro versions of headsets, and people have to assume that it will be called AppleVision or AppleVisionnone.

Considering that the technologies used in VisionPro are very expensive, it is necessary to see how Apple can reduce its costs. It's not easy to achieve this while making money: VisionPro is priced at $3499, which is already close to manufacturing costs.

The three most expensive components in VisionPro are the camera and sensor array, dual Apple chips, and dual 4K microLED VR displays. For non Pro models, Apple may use lower quality screens, either iPhone grade chips or older Mac chips, and reduce the number of cameras, thereby reducing performance.

Apple may also be able to adopt a simpler headband design that allows AirPods to provide spatial audio functionality instead of adding speakers to the VisionPro headband, using physical IPD (pupil spacing) adjustment instead of automatic adjustment, and removing features such as 3D cameras. Coupled with more refined production processes, economies of scale, and a cheaper body, Gurman believes that Apple can lower prices by a few hundred dollars.

But Gulman believes that even on the lower priced AppleVision, Apple will not compromise in certain aspects. For example, an external screen called EyeSight can display the wearer's eyes, as well as an eye and hand tracking system, which are the core of AppleVision, just like the touchscreen of an iPhone. Gulman hopes that cheaper models can still retain these features.

Apple currently plans to release a cheaper headphone as early as the end of 2025, which means it will be launched around two years after VisionPro's debut. Meanwhile, Apple is already developing a second generation VisionPro equipped with faster processors.

But for now, Apple can only hope that the high price of VisionPro will not make people abandon this new product, and by 2026, there will be enough consumers ready to queue up to buy cheaper models. (Small)