It has been known for some time that Apple is working on a cheaper Vision Pro and of course that comes with a number of downgrades. These are the expectations.
The cheaper Vision Pro gets these downgrades
Apple is looking for new suppliers for OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) panels. According to The Elec does this mean that Apple is planning to develop a cheaper version of the Vision Pro. The Korean website has apparently discovered a shift in the supply chain of OLEDoS panels, a key component of the Vision Pro.
Currently, Sony supplies these high-resolution microdisplays. However, the limited production capacity of a maximum of 900,000 panels per year and the lack of expansion plans have led Apple to look for alternatives for the future.
Apple has apparently reached out to Samsung Display and LG Display to evaluate their capabilities for producing larger OLEDoS panels. The sizes are 2.0 to 2.1 inches with a pixel density of around 1700 pixels per inch (PPI).
Larger displays with lower resolution
These screens are said to be larger than the ones currently used in the Vision Pro. And they also have a lower resolution. So far, these are the main downgrades you can expect in a cheaper Vision Pro.
The Vision Pro uses Sony’s OLEDoS panels. Such a panel is 1.42 inches in size and has a pixel density of almost 3400 PPI. A white OLED screen with a color filter (wOLED+CF technology) is used. This is one of the main reasons for the high price of the Vision Pro.
On Display Week 2024 Both Samsung and LG showed off their advancements in OLED microdisplay technology. Samsung unveiled a 1.03-inch RGB OLED microdisplay, developed in collaboration with eMagin. This display promises higher brightness levels compared to the wOLED+CF method. Meanwhile, LG unveiled a 1.3-inch 4K OLED microdisplay with 10,000 nits. This display uses a micro lens array (MLA) to increase brightness by about 40 percent.
Apple’s interest in larger, lower-resolution OLEDoS panels than those in the current Vision Pro suggests that they’re destined for a new, cheaper version with downgrades. Apple has been rumored to be working on such a device for over a year . And the latest evidence suggests it could be designed to connect to an iPhone or Mac, avoiding the need for an expensive processor. The cheaper Apple Vision headset could then ship as early as late next year.
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