The Apple Vision Pro headset hit the markets early this year with a price tag of $3,499 (approximately Rs. 2,92,900), as the company’s first mixed reality (MR) headset. Although it is an expensive product and sold in only a handful of countries, according to earlier reports, iPhone maker has been working on a more affordable Vision headset, that is expected to be released in the next couple of years. Reports claim Apple has started to weigh the adoption of lower resolution OLED displays for its spatial computer so that it saves money.
Low Resolution Displays May Make Up for Apple’s Budget Vision Headset
According to translated Korean Elec, Apple has received a sample of an OLED panel coming from Japan Display Inc. (JDI), said to be for MR headsets. The OLED panel is said to use the board with the cheaper component instead of using OLED on Silicon (OLEDoS). It might be had at the 1,500ppi resolution.
This is way down from the resolutions of the displays on the first-generation Apple Vision Pro — 3,391ppi. Industry sources are cited by the publication to say that the sample being reviewed by the iPhone maker also uses the technology from Sony, which is the primary supplier for Vision Pro panels for Apple.
In July, Apple was rumoured to offer the upcoming Vision headset with 2.1-inch OLEDoS displays at a whopping 1,700ppi. This will mean the size of the display on the more affordable MR headsets will be larger than the first-generation Vision Pro, with a much higher resolution.
During this period, there are also reports that Apple approached two other firms-LG and Samsung- for some data linked to these microdisplays. As of now, it is not known if both firms have responded to Apple’s RFI.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had reported earlier that Apple is still working on expanding its lineup of Vision mixed reality devices and stated that the company could indeed launch two new devices. The journalist apparently revealed that the cheaper of these is coming in 2025. However, if the information shared by The Elec is to be believed, the cheaper MR headset might not see the light of day until a year or so later.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.