On June 5, North American time, Apple held the Global Developers Conference (WWDC) in the local area, and the "epoch-making" Apple MR Head Display Vision Pro was officially unveiled.。

Although Apple has put a lot of effort into releasing this Vision Pro, there are as many as 5,000 patents alone.。But when Vision Pro was officially introduced, there was a burst of boos because its pricing was so slightly expensive。According to Apple, the expensive, epoch-making headset, which starts at an exaggerated starting price of $3,499, will go on sale in the United States early next year and reach more countries and regions later next year.。

The price announcement made the long-awaited "fruit powder" difficult to accept for a while, and many in the industry said it was too expensive.。This caused Apple's share price to take a sharp turn in the middle of the conference, and the shares of its suppliers fell in response.。

There are reports that the $3,500 price tag for the Vision Pro headset is certainly not for sale。No matter how powerful the technology is or how attractive the features are, such a selling price won't reach a potential audience, and seven times the price of a competitor won't have a real future。

Maybe Apple's pricing alone isn't enough to get a sense of how expensive it really is, so let's take a look at the current pricing of mainstream interactive headsets on the market.。

As you can see, the most expensive one on the market today is HTC's HTC Vive XR, Elite, which is about 7,809 yuan, while the starting price of Vision Pro is more than three times that.。

Mike Rockwell, an Apple executive in charge of the project, said before revealing the price: "Even if you buy the most advanced TV, surround sound, powerful computer, several HD monitors, high-end cameras, and then combine them, you won't get an experience like Vision Pro.。"

Apple's explanation may be true, but it's misleading.。TV can be shared, Vision Pro can only be exclusive。And people who buy space computers are likely to already have high-end Macs, monitors and smartphones with cameras.。

Many consumers and commentators in the crowd were critical of this, and it's clear that Apple's explanation for this pricing is clearly unconvincing。Some people in the industry believe that the marketing of this device is really good, but on the issue of price, it is still difficult to balance: they have invested as much as $15 billion in development costs, and if they are priced too low, they will lose money.。

The most expensive components on Vision Pro are the camera and sensor array, two Apple chips, and two 4K microLED virtual reality displays.。So in the future, Apple may use less quality screens and chips from iPhone or older Macs in non-Pro models, and reduce the number of cameras。

It's no wonder Apple has always been tight-lipped about prices before, after all, early disclosure is bound to trigger negative comments。Ultimately, the company believes that if it doesn't officially launch the product at the launch, it needs to pay extra attention to price.。Now, before the official launch of Vision Pro, consumers still have nine months to slowly digest the price。

Vision Pro Shipment Forecast Cut 95%？

Recently, there were rumors that Apple lowered its shipment target from the initial 3 million to 150,000, cutting orders by as much as 95%。

Analyst Ayesha Tariq (Ayesha Tariq) revealed that the move may be due to the high threshold of Vision Pro, not a mass consumer product, only for a few professional users。In addition, the 6500mAh battery life of the device is only 2 hours, and the battery needs to be replaced with a SIM card pin。

If you add in additional costs, such as ZEISS inserts and head circumference customization, the price may be even higher。This makes more users choose to wait and see, rather than buy。As a result, Apple may need to launch cheaper MR headsets so that more users can accept them。

Last week, TrendForce also made a forecast for Vision Pro shipments.。Jibang Consulting expects to ship only about 200,000 Apple Vision Pro mixed reality (MR) headsets in 2024.。

Jibang Consulting also pointed out that Apple Vision Pro has cutting-edge hardware specifications and innovative design。However, the high price of $3,499 and the need for an external power source to operate for two hours poses a challenge to consumer adoption.。

Still, the lower shipment target for Vision Pro doesn't mean the device lacks market prospects.。For professional users, Vision Pro provides better visual effects and performance to help them do their jobs better。If users in this area recognize Vision Pro, Apple still has the opportunity to make a big splash in this area。

Apple plans to launch a low-profile MR head display by the end of 2025

While it's true that the current price of the Vision Pro is the biggest concern for consumers, in a few years, this issue may no longer be an issue。Because as can be seen from its naming, the company is also working on a non-Pro version

There are reports that Apple is working to develop a more affordable headset device in the hope of boosting sales。Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple News reporter, revealed that Apple's latest goal is to release a low-profile AR / VR headset by the end of 2025.。

At the same time, Apple is also developing a second-generation Vision Pro with a faster processor, indicating that the company plans to adopt a dual-product strategy, similar to the relationship between the standard iPhone and the iPhone Pro。

It is reported that the low version of the head display may be named "Apple Vision" or "Apple Vision One"。Regarding the low-profile version, it is expected to be equipped with a lower-quality screen relative to Vision Pro, a lower-spec processor, and a smaller camera and sensor array, and it is possible to castrate the space audio speakers, and instead provide space through AirPods. Audio。

In addition, the headset may also adopt a simpler headband design, replace automatic IPD (Interpupillary Distance) adjustment with physical operations, and eliminate functions such as 3D camera。Combined with more elaborate production processes, economies of scale and a cheaper fuselage, Apple is expected to reduce prices by a few hundred dollars。

But on several other fronts, Apple may not compromise。Gurman says eye tracking and gesture manipulation may be preserved。Because the EyeSight external screen that can display the wearer's eyes and the eyeball and gesture tracking system are at the core of Apple Vision, just as the touch screen means to the iPhone。Therefore, even the lower-priced version should continue to retain these features。

Why Apple Executives Are Not Publicly Using Vision Pro？

Another surprising thing at the conference is that Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives are not publicly wearing Vision Pro.。This never happened: Cook wore it on his wrist when the new Apple Watch was released; Cook never held it proudly when the new iPhone was launched。

But as you can see from the photos and videos of the conference site, Cook is just standing next to Vision Pro。While this approach is understandable, the move also shows that Apple has reservations about the product's design and that they are not confident enough to allow Cook and other high-profile executives to wear the headset in public.。Just compare Cook's performance at the Vision Pro event with his performance at the iPhone 14 and first-generation Apple Watch event to clearly feel the difference。