Apple working on more affordable AR/VR headset, priced the same as iPhone

Apple is developing more affordable AR/VR headsets that could retail for the same price as an iPhone.

Rumors mills claim that Apple’s first AR/VR mixed reality headset coming this year could be priced somewhere around $3,000 which is surely quite hefty for the majority of consumers as it is even more expensive than the current higher-end iPhone 14 models. However, a report suggests that Apple is planning to release a more “budget-friendly” mixed reality headset in the future.

Apple’s cheaper AR/VR headset will compete with Meta’s mixed reality

According to the reports from The Information and Bloomberg, Apple has already started working on a more budget-friendly AR/VR headset that might be priced similarly to the iPhone.

Apple engineers are planning to use less expensive components to make them more affordable. The affordable headset chips will be on par with iPhone, instead of the Mac-level chips used in the first AR/VR headset, and Apple might use lower-resolution internal displays with cheaper materials but it would have the same general AR/VR “mixed reality” functionality as the first headset launching in 2023.

However, the is not mentioned if the price range of the tech company’s AR/VR headsets might fall and a report says that the headset will compete with Meta’s mixed reality headset. which is priced at $1,500. The iPhone 14’s price starts from $799 going up to $1,599 for the highest-end model with 1TB storage.

In the past, Samsung Display was not interested in developing or manufacturing microdisplays due to concerns about low profitability. But as major companies like Apple and Meta are creating their own mixed-reality headsets, Samsung might also consider launching its own. It is also reported that Apple’s second-gen AR/VR headsets could feature Samsung’s micro OLED display.

Previously, it was reported, Apple had already finalized that the second-generation mixed-reality headset would be launched in 2024 with more capabilities. But tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the cheaper second-generation mixed-reality headset would launch in 2025.

And for now, development on the budget-friendly headset is in its early stages and Apple has not provided a working prototype but Bloomberg says that Apple might introduce the cheaper mixed-reality headset in either 2024 or 2025.

It also said that Apple delayed its augmented reality Apple Glasses that it had been working on. The launch of the Apple Glasses got postponed indefinitely and “pared back its work on the AR device”.

Apple’s cheaper AR/VR headset will compete with Meta’s mixed reality

Ali Hasnain