Apple launched the Imaginative and prescient Professional XR headset earlier this 12 months, and it’s not precisely set money registers on hearth. The corporate is seemingly pushing forward with a less expensive headset, however it appears like Apple might take a cue from the Samsung Gear VR by requiring a tethered companion machine.

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported in his Energy On publication that Apple’s cheaper Imaginative and prescient headset is codenamed N107. The machine will apparently price $1,500 to $2,000 and was initially slated to launch as quickly as late 2025.

Gurman echoed latest claims that Apple is struggling to scale back the headset’s price, although. He prompt that the corporate might take away the exterior EyeSight show, scale back the standard/specs of the interior XR screens, use a lower-quality chipset, and/or scale back the standard of the passthrough visuals. There’s yet one more transfer Apple would possibly make to deliver prices down.

A dramatic cutback for Apple Imaginative and prescient

Gurman says Apple is considering making the cheaper Imaginative and prescient headset reliant on a tethered Mac laptop or iPhone.

“That might let Apple get monetary savings on the processing energy and parts wanted to make the Imaginative and prescient Professional a completely standalone product,” the journalist defined.

This wouldn’t be the primary time we’ve seen an XR headset being reliant on a smartphone, both. Samsung’s Gear VR required customers to slip their telephones into the headset, with the smartphone offering each the show and processing energy. We’ve additionally seen many PC-based headsets that require a tethered PC for processing.

A less expensive Imaginative and prescient headset that required an iPhone or Mac would nonetheless have its personal inner display, although. This could however go some method to decreasing part prices, as Apple wouldn’t have to incorporate a strong processor within the headset, nor wouldn’t it want to supply RAM and storage. It additionally means customers would get a efficiency improve when upgrading to a brand new iPhone or Mac.

In any other case, Gurman says Apple continues to be engaged on a second-generation Imaginative and prescient Professional headset (codenamed N109). The brand new machine is alleged to function a quicker chip and improved exterior cameras. Apple is seemingly methods to make the headset lighter and extra comfy to put on. Sadly, the second-generation headset is tipped to reach by the tip of 2026 “on the earliest.”