Zhitong Finance learned from media reports that Mark Gurman, a well-known technology reporter at Bloomberg, said that Apple (AAPL.US) may launch a lower-priced Vision headset device as early as next year to develop a more accessible mixed reality headset.

The company's previously released $3,500 headset Vision Pro did not generate much enthusiasm. Since its launch in the US in February, the device's sales have not exceeded 100,000 units in a quarter, and it is estimated that its annual sales will not exceed 500,000 units.

The low-end model is reported to be priced at about $2,000, which may use a weaker processor and cheaper materials. The headset may give up the EyeSight feature that Apple introduced in Vision Pro, which uses cylindrical lens displays to transmit the user's eye images to the headset outside, allowing others to still "see" their eyes. The report also said that Apple expects the sales of the low-priced headset to be at least twice that of Vision Pro.

Gurman also said in the report that Apple's Vision Products Group is also considering launching smart glasses at the same level as Meta's Ray-Bans and camera-equipped AirPods. The company's goal is to recover tens of billions of dollars in R&D costs by applying the visual intelligence technology of Vision Pro to more products.

On June 6, media reports said that Apple had suspended the development of its next-generation expensive Vision mixed reality headset and focused on a more affordable version to attract more consumers.