Apple’s Vision Pro headset is undeniably expensive, but a big part of its price comes down to all the high-end tech that it’s absolutely overflowing with. Unsurprisingly, that includes its incredibly impressive displays, and a new rumor suggests that Apple might boost the Vision Pro’s screens even further when the Vision Pro 2 eventually launches.
According to a machine-translated version of an article published by Korean outlet SisaJournal, Samsung and LG are working to apply tandem stack technology to their micro-OLED display panels. Apple’s latest iPad Pro uses tandem OLED tech to boost the device’s brightness and contrast while at the same time allowing the tablet to be made much thinner than its predecessors, while the current Vision Pro uses (non-tandem) micro-OLED panels. This report suggests that Samsung and LG are trying to combine those two technologies into one.
What does this have to do with the Vision Pro? Well, there’s no conclusive link yet, but this is exactly the type of technology that Apple would likely want to include in the Vision Pro 2 headset, given its ability to enable high-end specs in a very thin frame. The current Vision Pro employs two 4K micro-OLED displays, and a tandem OLED alternative would undoubtedly be superior to what’s currently included in Apple’s headset.
What’s more, previous reports have claimed that Apple wants to outfit the Vision Pro 2 with advanced micro-OLED screens, so this latest article builds on that idea. If Apple can add tandem OLED into the mix, it could potentially lead to some incredible displays that put even the best VR headsets to shame.
Is a price increase on the way?
If Apple does decide to go down this route, it will be interesting to see how it affects the Vision Pro’s price. Despite what you might think, there’s no guarantee that the price will increase; but despite the apparent need for a price drop, given that the Vision Pro isn't selling in huge numbers, we can’t say that’s going to happen either.
That’s because once Apple settles on a price for its products, it usually stays more or less consistent over the years. The iPhone X set the $999 bar for Apple’s high-end phones, and seven years later you can still get an iPhone 15 Pro for the same price, despite huge levels of inflation in the time since. Likewise, you can buy an iMac for $1,299, the same price it’s held for years, while the MacBook Air has been dependably hovering around $1,000. (Of course, there are exceptions – the tandem OLED iPad Pro being one.)
So it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Apple keep the Vision Pro’s price the same, even with this new top-tier tech in place. We know the company has a cheaper Vision Pro in the works, and once that hits the market there will be less pressure for Apple to drop the price of the regular Vision Pro. At the same time, it’s doubtful that Apple will want to push the Vision Pro’s price much beyond the already expensive $3,499, meaning there’s a good chance it could simply swallow the cost of the tandem OLED displays.
That’s all speculation for now, and we won’t know for sure until Apple debuts this new screen tech in its flagship headset – if it even arrives at all. But if it does happen, Vision Pro fans could be in line for a true feast for the eyes.
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