Apple Delays Affordable ‘Apple Vision’ Headset Until 2027, Analyst Kuo Reports

Highlights

• Apple delayed the release of a budget-friendly Vision headset to 2027 instead of 2025.
• A new Vision Pro is expected in 2025 featuring an M5 chip and Apple Intelligence.
• Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the delay is due to the need for successful use cases.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple has delayed its release of a budget-friendly version of the Apple Vision headset.

According to Kuo in an X (previously Twitter) post, the company is pushing its launch to 2027 instead of 2025.

As I understand it, production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed beyond 2027 for a while now. This means Apple’s only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor.

I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper…

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 3, 2024

Previous leaks suggested Apple was planning to debut this more affordable model next year with simplified materials, lower-resolution displays and no EyeSight feature. The aim was to make spatial computing accessible to a broader audience.

However, as recent reports now confirm, plans at Apple have been changed.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a trusted source and has been known in the tech community as someone who accurately reports the latest updates.

Kuo still expects Apple to launch a new version of the Apple Vision Pro next year.

It is expected to feature the M5 chip and integration with Apple Intelligence, though additional hardware upgrades are uncertain.

Drawing a comparison, Kuo noted that Apple’s attempt to reach a wider market with the lower-cost HomePod mini did not make smart speakers a mainstream product.

“I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper Vision Pro is that simply reducing the price wouldn’t help create successful use cases. It’s similar to the HomePod situation—even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers failed to become mainstream products,” Kuo wrote in his post.

It seems Apple similarly believes a $2,000 headset may not significantly broaden visionOS’s reach.

A user highlighted on Kuo X’s post that there is no such thing as an affordable Apple product even when the product doesn’t have much to offer.

In a subsequent post as a response to the user, Kuo agreed that what Apple considers affordable could still be pricey when compared to others in the market.

He also mentioned that it all boils down to whether Apple can “provide successful cases.”

Apple’s prices are high across the board vs. competitors, even HomePod mini. That’s another issue—what Apple considers ‘affordable’ for Vision Pro might still be pricey vs. competitors. So it all comes down to whether they can provide successful use cases.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 3, 2024

FAQs

Q1. When is Apple expected to release the budget-friendly Vision headset?

Answer. Apple has delayed its release of a budget-friendly version of the Apple Vision headset to 2027 instead of 2025.

Q2. What features are expected in the new version of the Apple Vision Pro next year?

Answer. The new version of the Apple Vision Pro next year is expected to feature the M5 chip and integration with Apple Intelligence.

Q3. Why did Apple decide to delay the cheaper Vision Pro?

Answer. Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the delay is due to the need for successful use cases, similar to the HomePod mini situation.

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