Apple focusing on lower resolution screens to make a more affordable Apple Vision Pro
A new report says that Apple's plans for a budget Apple Vision Pro are now expected to see it using lower-resolution displays than it previously planned.
Inside the Apple Vision Pro
The new report follows a previous one claiming that Japan Display Inc (JDI) had delivered a test sample of a lower-resolution display to Apple. Now Digitimes says that it's believed Apple is sampling displays at even lower resolution than that.
Specifically, Apple had requested bids for displays of 1,700ppi, and for those screens to be OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) ones, which are brighter than the white OLED plus color filters in the current headset. Apple had previously been reported to be considering OLEDoS screens for a second-generation Apple Vision Pro in 2027.
As well as producing a sample with the lower 1,500ppi, JDI used glass core substrate (GCS) OLED technology instead of OLEDoS. GCS OLED is typically better suited for screens used from a regular distance, rather than for displays meant to be placed near the eye.
Apple appears to have accepted the JDI sample, although its approximately 1,500ppi is significantly lower resolution than the current Apple Vision Pro. The original headset offers around 3,380ppi, which Apple generously describes as being equivalent to a 4K TV per eye.
Digitext says that speculation is that Samsung Display (SDC) is likely to produce GCS OLED screens of around 1,500ppi resolution, too.
Note that Digitimes has a strong track record for its supply chain sources, but a significantly poorer one for the speculative conclusions it draws about Apple's plans.
Separately, it was reported in June 2024 that Apple had halted work on an updated Apple Vision Pro 2. Instead, it was focusing its efforts on a more consumer-priced version, which backs up the new report of lower-price displays.
Rumor Score: Possible
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Even offering a version of with the same resolution and fewer features seems unlikely. I'd like to see v1 cheaper of course. The second single biggest improvement in would be a battery back that detaches from the cord. This would be much more convenient than having to deal with say two or three corded spares. Or maybe a much lighter weight headset but I don't think that's a reality.
Can third-party IEC earbuds be used? I don't know how good the factory audio is or that I'd want to bother anybody if I used this in a public setting.
The reason why Apple’s screens look higher res is that their OS tech uses better ways to render the elements on screen, more like vectors instead of bitmaps. This requires more memory and compute, which the M2 can handle just fine.
use the users own brains natural systems to build out more of scene with less pixels.
The main issue that I have with the camera is when you try to take a pic of some thing reflective and your silly self shows up reflected in the picture. How, bloody, annoying. Fix that. And the bloody keyboard so when type a message in a hurry, like 'I just picked up a bag of groceries and some grog', comes out as 'reeked gross and crock'.
Thank you Apple.
https://vr-compare.com/compare?h1=0q3goALzg&h2=8aL1JxO3T
Apple used the best that was available but it comes with higher manufacturing cost and lower production capacity.
I expect that whatever they put into production will offer good enough quality and it would be nice if they made similar compromises in other areas. A 27-32" 4K laminated glossy OLED display would be good enough for a lot of people, even if it wasn't strictly retina quality. It would still be better quality than what everyone else is offering.
Apple might even find that the rights to the tech is available