Kürzung des Gewichts und Reduzierung der Funktionen: Apple könnte erneut versuchen, mit dem XR-Headset einen Durchbruch zu schaffen.

When the time came to 2025, the focus in the XR field was undoubtedly on AI glasses, and hardly anyone was still talking about whether Apple's Vision Pro could "extend the lifespan of the XR industry by at least 10 years." Born under Apple's halo but quickly losing popularity, this has become the biggest problem for Vision Pro at present. When the outside world no longer cares much about Vision Pro, Apple has not chosen to give up.

Recently, there were reports that Apple may plan to launch a lightweight headset, Vision Air, in 2027. It is said that this headset will be redesigned and adjusted according to the problems exposed by Vision Pro, with a focus on optimizing wearing comfort and cost control. It is estimated that Vision Air will be more than 40% lighter than Vision Pro, weighing only 360 grams, and the price may be significantly reduced by 50%.

Of course, in order to reduce the weight and price, Vision Air will inevitably have some features cut. Measures that Apple may take include reducing the number of sensors, using a lower-resolution screen, and even removing the EyeSight external screen. If the above rumors are true, then Apple has really learned from its mistakes and is trying to create a more user - friendly and accessible product based on the feedback from Vision Pro users.

One of the key factors contributing to Vision Pro's decline after a high - profile launch is considered to be its high price. Even in Europe and the United States, where people "earn and spend in dollars or euros", $3499 is still a significant amount for most consumers, almost equivalent to the median monthly salary of Americans ($3000). This means that many Americans view Vision Pro in the same way as people view current domestic Android flagship phones, having to grit their teeth before making a purchase decision.

In contrast, the reason why the currently most successful VR headset globally, Quest 2, is so popular is its low price of only $299. Spending one - tenth of the monthly salary on a "toy" naturally reduces the psychological burden on consumers significantly. Therefore, Apple has to face an unavoidable question: why should consumers spend $3499 to buy Vision Pro?

Apple's initial strategy was to target developers with Vision Pro, which can be seen from the product's naming. Developers with Vision Pro would build the VisionOS application ecosystem, and then attract ordinary consumers to make purchases. This approach of attracting merchants first and then starting business is not necessarily wrong, but Apple seems to have overestimated the enthusiasm of third - party developers for a brand - new ecosystem. Since not many developers are willing to fully commit to VisionOS, Apple has to "borrow resources" from iOS and iPadOS to enrich the content ecosystem of VisionOS.

So, how can Apple reduce the cost of Vision Pro? If Apple chooses to keep the iconic EyeSight external screen, reducing the screen specifications is a suitable option. Currently, the two microOLED screens equipped on Vision Pro have a total pixel count of up to 23 million, with a single - eye resolution of over 4K and a PPI of 3400. They support 4K wide - color gamut and HDR rendering, making it the top - of - the - line in current head - mounted devices.

However, such a high - quality screen has become a stumbling block for the Vision Pro content ecosystem. The ultra - high resolution causes obvious pixelation or noise when the images taken by ordinary devices are displayed on Vision Pro. Canon once pointed out that to produce videos for Vision Pro, a sensor with 100 million pixels is required, and the frame rate should reach 60 frames per second. Currently, almost no consumer - grade devices can meet these requirements.

So far, the immersive video library of Vision Pro has not reached the level Apple initially promoted. Even the content of the NBA All - Star Game highlights in 2025, which has an official cooperation agreement, has not been launched yet.

In addition to the high price keeping ordinary consumers away, the wearing experience also makes it difficult for many Apple - supporting users to defend Vision Pro. With a weight of up to 600 grams, even though Apple has optimized the wearing experience, some users still report feeling "pressured and uncomfortable after wearing it for a long time". Just as the holding experience is the foundation of a mobile phone, the wearing experience is also the foundation of a head - mounted device. A device that causes discomfort is almost destined not to become popular, as most consumers are not masochists.

The wearing comfort is far more important than parameter leadership. This should be the biggest lesson that Vision Pro has taught the entire industry. Otherwise, vivo's vivo Vision concept phone would not have chosen to use an expensive aviation magnesium - alloy frame and an external battery to reduce the weight to less than 400 grams. Ensuring that users do not suffer when wearing the device is undoubtedly the basis for the success of a head - mounted device.

In this way, by reducing the screen resolution to cut costs, expanding the content sources, and removing the unnecessary EyeSight and sensors, an Apple - version "vivo Vision" may indeed have great potential. After all, there are still many buyers for the $1199 iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it is believed that a large number of consumers will be willing to try the $1500 Vision Air.

This article is from the WeChat official account "3eLife" (ID: IT - 3eLife). Author: 3eLife Editor. Republished by 36Kr with permission.