I was really thinking that EyeSight would be the first thing to be touchbarred but it looks like I might be wrong.
Anyway, we got plenty of time before the headset’s release. Original iPhone was announced at $1000 but rapidly saw its price go down to $500. Let’s hope for the best
Agreed, EyeSight seems like the obvious “Pro” feature to get rid of to save money. I would much rather keep the internal high resolution displays that actually matter for the user. EyeSight looks creepy in general to me though, so I’m probably a bit biased.
Apple Vision S Lite Mini
I hope by “low resolution screens” it just means lower resolution than the pro version.
Because personally, I’m tired of looking at my shitty low res screen on my Quest 2. It’s so blurry to me.
Hence the “Pro” designation - it was 100% obvious that one was coming. The real question is what will Apple compromise to get a lower cost Vision to the masses?
I think one of the big differences will be with the speakers. If they make the standard model require AirPods, they can eliminate speakers entirely and save significantly on cost.
Another possibility is moving from metal to plastic for the frame design. This saves on cost and weight. They could also take out the 3D camera.
I strongly believe they won’t compromise on the display resolution or the EyeSight feature, though it’s possible they’ll be able to fake the lenticular effect using software and opt for a simpler outward-facing display.
They won’t take anything away. Or at least, they won’t compromise on the key things that make it good.
Right now they call it “pro” and keep the price high for early adopters and tech enthusiasts who will pay it.
Then they release the regular version… alongside “Pro 2”.
Pro 2 gets some fancy new features, while the regular version (and cheaper version) hits much of the same performance as the Pro 1 but for a more reasonable price.
So everyone is happy: early adopters got to have Pro 1 while everyone else had nothing, people who waited get a cheaper model that is just as good as this version, and enthusiasts who have $ to spend get to upgrade to a Pro 2 that is even better.
That makes sense given they just started doing that with the iPhone.
The regular 14 got the chip from the 13 pro while the 14 pro got a new one. The regular 15 will get the 14 pro chip and most of the features like the dynamic island, while the pro will get the new periscope camera and some new features.
They should totally remove the stupid OLED screen on the outside. That would probably save them ~$300 USD for basically zero loss in functionality.
I think everyone saw this coming. I’m curious to see what affordable is in the eyes of Apple. the bar was set so high, that even with a 30% discount on the non pro model, would likely still price a lot of people out. It’d be huge savings, but still cost a fortune. Cut the price too much, and you might hinder the experience. I hope the lower priced model comes out the following year after launch. I just want to see where Apple and it’s base take this.
Had this same conversation with my wife. Vision Pro is the “throw it all at the wall and see what sticks” model with all of the bells and whistles. If they find stuff is over-built or not utilized, they’ll target those areas for future cost savings.
For example, right now (without having used it), I’m skeptical if the finger-tap/pinch movements with their specialized tracking and cameras is more valuable than a more economical input method.
It’s the beta test that people will pay $3500 for to be beta testers for Apple and claim “first!” status. Then they’ll come out with a $1000 to $1500 “regular person” model.
It’s not really surprising, it’s probably the best way to develop something when you’re unsure what the market is and what the technology requirements are. Making a cheap product first just means doomed to failure because all people will see is cheap. Make something good first, and people will remember that.
