Cheaper Apple Vision Pro could use lower resolution displays
Apple is looking to offer an alternative to its expensive Vision Pro headset with a cheaper model
💰 Apple may include a lower-resolution display for its cheaper Apple Vision Pro
🤝 The company has reportedly reached out to Samsung and LG
📉 The Apple Vision Pro costs $3,499 and sales have waned in the US
🌍 Apple recently launched the Apple Vision Pro in more countries
Apple’s cheaper Vision Pro could use lower-resolution displays in a bid to cut costs. Apple has reportedly asked LG and Samsung about supplying micro-OLED displays, according to a South Korean news outlet.
The Elec reports that Apple has sent out a request for information (RFI) to both Korean companies about “technical information necessary for product development”. Most noticeably, The Elec claims that Apple has enquired about producing larger OLED-on-Silicon panels that are 2 to 2.1-inch and offer a pixel density of 1,700 pixels per inch (PPI).
That’s a lower resolution than the Sony-supplied micro-OLED displays in the $3,499 Apple Vision Pro. Sony’s displays provide a PPI of 3,386, which translates into a resolution of 3660x3200.
Apple could use the cheaper, lower-resolution displays in a more affordable Vision Pro headset, which is rumored to be in development. Apple has reportedly put an Apple Vision Pro 2 on hold as it looks to offer a more accessible device that could capture more market share.
Along with using lower-quality displays, a cheaper Apple Vision Pro could also be designed to be tethered to an iPhone or Mac, taking some of the processing away from the headset itself. This could result in a lighter headset overall, which is one of the biggest complaints aimed at the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple could launch a more affordable Apple Vision Pro as soon as the end of the next year, but it’ll be tracking how well the headset sells now that it has launched outside the US.
Apple shared that Vision Pro users will soon be able to create spatial photos and enjoy more immersive video experiences as part of visionOS 2. It’s also reportedly working on new AirPods that include infrared cameras that work with Apple Vision Pro
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.