The successor to the Apple Vision Pro isn't expected until the end of 2026; The company has not yet found a way to reduce the cost of headphones

Demand for the Apple Vision Pro is slowly waning, but the company's long-term goals haven't budged one bit. A new report suggests that a successor to the $3,499 AR headset could launch sometime by the end of 2026. However, there's a big glaring issue that Apple needs to address, otherwise this product category will likely never take off, and that's pricing . . For that to happen, the tech giant needs to cut its component costs, but with each current-generation unit estimated to cost Apple $1,542, the road to an affordable head-worn device is a long and difficult one.

The second-generation Apple Vision Pro could have more small OLED display suppliers besides Sony, assuming they get their quality approved

Apple is said to be evaluating two Chinese display suppliers in its stated effort to cut the hefty $456 it has to pay for 4K micro-OLED panels for its mixed reality headsets. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, his latest “Power On” newsletter suggests that the launch of the Apple Vision Pro successor may not happen until the end of 2026, but before a second-generation product can materialize, the technology needs to get its cost down somehow.

“Apple's latest Vision Pro roadmap doesn't currently call for a second-generation model until the end of 2026, though the company is trying to figure out a way to bring a cheaper version to market before then. I'm told Apple is still on the fence about whether Exactly how to reduce cost.

Apple is introducing a new version of Vision Pro software this year — VisionOS 2.0 — but that's not expected to be a game-changer. The next big step for the headphones will be international expansion, with Apple preparing to bring the device to China in the very near future.

Fortunately, Apple could light up the future of its mixed reality by launching a low-cost headset, as previous reports suggest it may launch in 2025. However, there will be some striking differences between this version and the more expensive Apple Vision Pro. Cost, such as a less expensive option that features an iPhone chipset instead of a Mac chip or uses a lower-quality display than dual 4K micro-OLED panels. Cupertino will also try to revitalize Apple Vision Pro sales by launching the device in China later this year.

However, we reiterate that the fortunes of this section can hardly change if the pricing issue is not addressed at this stage. An earlier rumor claimed that Apple could cut display costs by 50 percent by partnering with Chinese display manufacturers SeeYA and BOE. Whether the company will form this business alliance in the future is another story, but whatever changes the successor to the Apple Vision Pro will boast, we will continue to provide updates in a timely manner.