The Apple Vision Pro is one of Apple's most ambitious products to date, taking VR technology to new heights — and prices. The Vision Pro is the most powerful mixed reality headset on the market, but has struggled to pull in the sales Apple hoped for.
So, it might not come as a surprise that Apple is already working on a more affordable sequel to the Vision Pro. It could launch sooner than you might think, too.
Here's everything we know so far about the Apple Vision Pro 2, also known as the Apple Vision SE, Apple's next mixed reality headset.
Latest news (updated July 26, 2024)
- Apple Vision Pro gaming set to get a whole lot better — but can it beat the Meta Quest 3?
- Apple Vision Pro reportedly takes a backseat to a cheaper spatial computing headset
- visionOS 2 is now the second-best news for Apple's Vision Pro this week
- Apple Vision Pro 2 may be years away — is Apple pinning its hopes on a cheaper option?
Apple Vision Pro 2: Release date
Usually, we predict Apple's release dates by investigating the previous release dates for a certain product line-up. That strategy doesn't work with the Vision Pro 2, though. At least, not yet. The Vision Pro is currently Apple's only headset, so we only have one previous release date to go off of.
Apple launched the original Vision Pro on February 2, 2024. Most of the company's release dates are in the fall or spring, so this winter date is an outlier. However, Apple might establish winter as its headset release date window to set the Vision Pro's descendants apart from its other products.
Winter also lines up with recent rumors about the release date for the next Apple headset. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in June 2024 that the more affordable successor to the Vision Pro could launch as early as late 2025.
If that rumor pans out, we could certainly see Apple launch the Vision Pro 2 or Vision SE somewhere between November 2025 and February 2026. Considering how pricey Apple's headsets are, it makes sense that the company would want to take advantage of the holiday shopping window, which lines up with that late 2025 release date.
Apple Vision Pro 2: Price
Price will be a deal breaker for the Vision Pro 2. It's the biggest drawback of the original Vision Pro by a long shot. Most people simply cannot justify spending $3,500 on a headset, especially when it doesn't have any major functional or performance advantages over a laptop.
In fact, Apple reportedly froze plans to create another high-end Vision Pro headset in mid-2024 to pivot to a more affordable version. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated this rumor, claiming Apple is aiming to get the lower-cost headset down to $1,500, around the same price as a high-end iPhone or a MacBook.
That's still pricey, but not excessively so. After all, the 13-inch iPad Pro M4 starts at $1,299 and is arguably also a luxury device. So, if Apple can succeed at slashing the price of its next headset down to $1,500, it will likely sell much better than the original Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro 2: Design
The biggest mystery surrounding the Vision Pro 2 (or Vision SE) is its design. Will a lower price translate into a "cheap" design or lack of aesthetics? Not necessarily.
There are a few things we know about the potential specs and design for the Vision Pro 2/Vision SE so far that hint at what Apple may have in mind.
A November 2023 report from MacRumors claims the more affordable sequel to the Vision Pro will have the same displays in each eye but with fewer cameras. It will also reportedly have a new strap design, although that's not necessarily a drawback since the Vision Pro's current strap design is often blamed for increasing head and neck pain.
One design feature Apple will almost certainly leave out of the Vision Pro 2/Vision SE is the front-facing display. This display looks neat but doesn't offer any tangible function. It's likely also contributing to the Vision Pro's weight, which Apple desperately needs to reduce in the new version. So, removing that exterior display will be an easy way to reduce the weight and cost without compromising performance.
Unfortunately, there could be some trade-offs to lower the price. The more affordable Vision headset might have a narrower field of view, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Alternatively, Apple could opt to include a larger display but with a lower resolution, as a rumor from The Elec claims. Either way, the display may not be quite as high-quality as the display in the original Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro 2: Features
Features will be crucial for the success of the Vision Pro 2. One of the main reasons the original Vision Pro struggled to gain traction early on is that people simply weren't sure what to use spatial computing for. This issue was made worse by a lack of native apps for visionOS, including some major must-haves like YouTube.
So, one of the biggest features I hope to see in the Vision Pro 2/Vision SE is a much larger native app library. Luckily, Apple can build out the app library on visionOS right now so it has more native apps to offer when the Vision Pro 2 or Vision SE eventually launches. At WWDC 2024, Apple announced some new apps, experiences, and immersive videos for the Vision Pro, so it seems like Apple is already working to resolve this issue.
Controllers and accessories should also be major features for the Vision Pro 2/Vision SE. The original Vision Pro can connect to some Bluetooth accessories, like a physical keyboard and mouse, but lacks dedicated controllers for things like gaming or precision control. Third-party companies are stepping up to address that issue with products like the Surreal Touch controllers, which have a design similar to the Meta Quest 3 controllers, but for the Vision Pro.
It would be a big win for Apple if it developed its own controllers with a similar design. The hand tracking on the Vision Pro is undoubtedly impressive, but there are still plenty of apps and games that are much more enjoyable with physical controllers.
This is also related to another feature I'm hoping Apple prioritizes on the Vision Pro 2 or Vision SE: gaming. By steering away from gaming with the original Vision Pro, Apple was likely trying to distance itself from Meta. That makes sense, but it is also leaving a huge market of headset users behind. Gaming could be especially impressive on visionOS due to the Vision Pro's incredible hardware. So, it would be a shame for gaming to never materialize on visionOS.
Outlook
The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to gain popularity, largely due to its sky-high price, but it looks like Apple is planning to resolve that issue with its next headset.
The Vision Pro 2, which could also be called the Vision SE, is expected to be far less expensive than the original Vision Pro while still including most of the core features of the original. It will also benefit from a larger native app library in visionOS and hopefully more gaming and entertainment experiences.
Apple could launch the Vision Pro 2 as early as Q4 2025, so we don't have much longer to wait before Apple reveals it. In fact, there's a good chance Apple could announce the Vision Pro 2 at next year's WWDC, which will most likely be in June 2025.
We'll be keeping a close eye on all the latest developments and rumors surrounding the Vision Pro 2, so stay tuned for more updates.
More from Laptop Mag
