Apple Vision — the cheaper Vision Pro rumors: Release date, price, and specs

We couldn’t help but cackle when we saw the first trailer of Apple Vision Pro — you know that moment when we see the headset’s interpretation of the user’s face — but that didn’t rock us as much as the $3,500 price tag.

However, the naming convention alone — Apple Vision Pro — suggests that there’s a standard Apple Vision coming sometime in the near future. It’s more than just a hunch at this point, there have been rumors leaking out of the Cupertino tech giant’s faucets. We’re here to collect those drips and splash it on over.

Here’s the puddle of information we’ve managed to collect on the Apple Vision while you were gawking at its sibling’s price tag.

Apple Vision release date

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that Apple is “already working on a cheaper model to get the new product category onto the faces of more people” in his latest Power On newsletter. Gurman is notorious for pulling buckets of info from Apple’s ongoing projects, but keep in mind that we cannot corroborate this information.

In terms of a release window, Gurman suggests that the Apple Vision will be available toward the end of 2025. That’s quite a long time. My daughter will be three years old by the time that happens (cries in a corner).

Apple Vision price

So how much cheaper can the Apple Vision Pro actually get? Anything must be better than a whopping $3,500, right? Well, if you can’t afford it, is it really cheaper?

Of course, Apple is going to have to rip out some expensive components to meet a lower price range (which I’ll get into later), but Gurman suggests that the company already has a price in mind. We’re looking at somewhere between $1,500 to $2,500.

I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t really scream “cheap” to me, but it does scream “Apple.” For reference, the Meta Quest 3 is $500. Maybe pick that up instead?

Apple Vision specs

Okay let’s get down and dirty with what’s actually happening with Apple Vision. We shouldn’t expect to get many if any new features. I suspect that more things will just get gutted out of the system.

Right now, reports from Bloomberg and The Information indicate that we’ll see fewer cameras and sensors all around. It’s unclear how much that will impact the immersion. Hopefully, it’ll be better than competitors like the Meta Quest 3 since Apple has the audacity to charge triple the price.

Another piece of info suggests that the Apple Vision will ditch the M2 chip and the M-series all together in favor of an A-series chip, as found in iPhones. That seems excessive, though. I can see Apple dialing back a chip, to like M1, but ditching the M-series entirely? By the end of 2025 I imagine we’ll have an M4 chip in at least some MacBooks, so why not keep Apple Vision at M2? It seems like a bizarre choice.

The aforementioned articles also state that the Eyesight feature might be removed as well. Honestly, that seems more like a silver lining than anything. I’m not sure how much use the Eyesight feature currently gets, but it’s jarring as all hell to look at, even through photos and advertisements.

Gurman also claims that Apple Vision might get a cheaper frame as well. As long as it doesn’t look like a bulky monstrosity and it’s still comfortable, that sounds fine to me. I don’t need the most expensive materials on my face — my wallet will feel it more than I do.

Outlook

The Apple Vision, or Apple Vision One as Gurman suggests it might be called, will see a price cut for certain, but will the company’s price be worth paying for a premium device that has all of its quality features stripped out of it?

Gutting Eyesight, the feature no one asked for, might save quite a bit of money alone, especially since you’re eliminating the external displays. However, I’m interested to see how Apple intends to market this device and where it lands on the power scale when compared to the likes of Meta Quest 3. 

Right now, the Apple Vision Pro sports a 4K resolution display per eye, which nearly doubles the sharpness of the Quest 3. I’d expect that to remain the same even if the price drops to $1,500, since that’s triple the price of the Quest 3, but only time will tell.

However, as far as all of the aforementioned information goes, they’re still considered rumors until we get official statements from Apple. So be skeptical. For news, rumors, and updates on everything Apple Vision related, and all things tech, follow Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest word as it arrives.