Apple plans to launch its next-generation Imaginative and prescient headsets as early as 2026, and they’ll doubtless be extra inexpensive, in response to TrendForce.
In keeping with earlier rumors, the Taiwanese analysis agency at present mentioned Apple is planning to introduce each a next-generation Imaginative and prescient Professional and a mainstream headset, which might doubtless be named “Apple Vision” with out the “Pro” modifier.
For the next-generation Imaginative and prescient Professional, TrendForce mentioned Apple will doubtless contemplate sourcing elements from suppliers past Sony to cut back manufacturing prices, and this transfer may contribute to the headset having a lower cost. At present, the Imaginative and prescient Professional begins at $3,499 within the U.S., and this value has naturally restricted gross sales of the machine.
In an interview earlier this yr, Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner acknowledged that the Imaginative and prescient Professional will not be a mass-market product as a consequence of its excessive value.
“At $3,500, it’s not a mass-market product,” mentioned Cook dinner. “Right now, it’s an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrow’s technology today—that’s who it’s for. Fortunately, there’s enough people who are in that camp that it’s exciting.”
In July, analysis agency IDC estimated that Imaginative and prescient Professional gross sales could be under 500,000 items this yr.
Whereas the following Imaginative and prescient Professional may very well be not less than barely extra inexpensive, TrendForce ensured that the machine will proceed to have high-end specs, together with show know-how with a decision exceeding 3,000 pixels per inch.
Along with a Imaginative and prescient Professional value minimize, a lower-end mannequin can also be anticipated ultimately.
For this mainstream Imaginative and prescient headset, the analysis agency mentioned that Apple is anticipated to concentrate on “affordability and “cost-efficiency” as a fundamental precedence, which ought to make visionOS accessible to extra clients at a significantly lower cost in comparison with the Imaginative and prescient Professional. It mentioned the machine may have less-advanced shows to maintain prices down.
“Possible display options for this model include glass-based OLED displays and LCDs with LTPO backplane technology, both of which offer a balance between performance and cost,” mentioned TrendForce, in a press launch.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo final month mentioned the following Imaginative and prescient Professional will truly launch in 2025, with an M5 chip in place of the present M2 chip, however he mentioned Apple pushed again its plans for a less expensive Imaginative and prescient headset till past 2027.
