This year, the world finally saw the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. However, the device’s price of $3,499 did not encourage mass buyers to form long lines in front of branded stores. However, in a general sense, sales have only just begun, as has the entire history of similar headsets from Apple.

According to Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter, the company is currently focusing the efforts of the relevant development unit called Vision Products Group on a cheaper version of the device. The code name of this version is N107 (compared to the current models N301 for the US and N301A for Europe and Asia).

It is noted that the main challenge is to reduce the cost of such a gadget while maintaining the basic functionality. Apple Vision Pro has a lot of expensive components that provide fully autonomous operation without the need to connect to a smartphone or computer, and also have functions that are far from “necessary” – such as an external display for projecting the user’s eyes. It’s only logical that a simpler version won’t have some of these features.

“Apple could strip out the EyeSight display — the feature that shows a user’s eyes on the outside — and reduce the specifications of the internal virtual reality screens. It also could use a less powerful chip and lower the quality of the augmented reality passthrough visuals, which show you the real-world views outside the device,” Gurman writes.

However, such changes are unlikely to reduce the cost of a simpler headset by half, which will still be much higher than the prices of competitive devices. So we should expect even greater compromises:

“Prototypes of the N107 also have a narrower field of view than the Vision Pro. And the company is considering making the device reliant on a tethered Mac or iPhone. That would let Apple save money on the processing power and components needed to make the Vision Pro a fully standalone product,” Gurman adds.

This, of course, will significantly change the overall concept, but it will also have a significant impact on the cost. The company is aiming for a price tag of $1,500 to $2,000. Yes, it’s still a lot of money, but compared to the cost of Apple Vision Pro, it will be a really affordable gadget.

Apple hopes to have the N107 ready by the end of 2025, and a lot can change in the meantime. So it will be interesting to see what progress the Vision Products Group, which, by the way, continues to grow, will make.

As for the second generation of Apple Vision Pro (N109), the company is also continuing to develop it. At the moment, this headset does not have any significant external changes, but it will receive more powerful chips and better cameras. At the same time, the manufacturer is looking for ways to reduce weight and add comfort while using the device.

With an update scheduled for release in late 2026 at best, there is still time to find the necessary solutions. However, for now, the team’s priority remains a cheaper version of the headset.