The Apple Vision Pro was launched earlier this year as the company’s first mixed reality (MR) headset, priced at $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2,92,900). While it’s a high-end device that’s available in a handful of countries, the iPhone maker is working on developing a cheaper Vision handset that could be unveiled in the coming years, according to previous reports. To keep costs down during the development of its next 3D computer, Apple is reportedly exploring the use of lower-resolution OLED displays.

Apple’s cheaper Vision headphones could have lower resolution screens

Elec reports (in Korean) that Apple recently received a sample of an OLED panel from Japan Display Inc. (JDI) which is designed for use in MR headsets. This panel is said to use a cheaper component instead of OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) for the panel, which means it could have a resolution of 1500 ppi.

That’s significantly lower than the screen resolution on the first-generation Apple Vision Pro — 3,391 ppi. Citing industry sources, the publication also said the sample being reviewed by the iPhone maker also uses technology from Sony, Apple’s primary supplier of Vision Pro panels.

In July, it was reported that Apple plans to equip its next Vision headphones with 2.1-inch OLEDoS screens with a resolution of 1700 ppi. This suggests that the screen size on the more affordable MR headset will be larger than the first generation Vision Pro, which has a much higher resolution.

At the time, Apple said it had contacted two other suppliers — LG and Samsung — for information related to these microdisplays. It is currently unclear whether Apple has received a response to its Request for Information (RFI) from either company.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously claimed that Apple is still working on expanding its Vision line of mixed reality devices, and that the company could launch two new devices. The cheaper one will arrive in 2025, according to the journalist. However, if the information shared by The Elec is correct, the cheaper MR headphones may not be launched for several years.