Vision Pro Production Cost: Apple Spends This Much To Make One MR Headset; Screens Reported As Most Expensive

Apple introduced the Vision Pro headset in its official stores for buyers in the US this month. It promises an immersive experience with the help of virtual and augmented reality. While the headset carries a starting price of $3,499, the making costs have now surfaced online. According to an estimate offered by research firm Omdia, this price sits in the sub-$1,500 bracket.

As cited by CNBC, the "bill of materials" for the headset is $1,542 (roughly Rs 1.27 lakh). Omdia did not include the research and development, marketing, packaging, shipping and the company's profit in this figure. Plus, it does not incorporate the capital expenditure in the total math. Coming to parts, the most expensive component of Vision Pro is the 1.25-inch micro-OLED screen with support for up to 100Hz refresh rate and 23 million pixels.

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Apple reportedly sends out $228 (roughly Rs 18,900) from its purse to get the OLED displays on the Vision Pro. A single unit uses two displays that power the visual experience of the mixed-reality headset. The second most costly part of the headset is the processor. Vision Pro is powered by the M2 and R1 chips. While M2 has powered Apple laptops in the past, the new R1 unit handles videos and sensors of the device.

Apple Vision Pro runs on custom visionOS. (Image:Unsplash)

However, users must note this is not the accurate cost approved by Apple. Moreover, CEO Tim Cook said in 2015 that the estimates are not "even close to accurate", the report noted. Plus, the brand does not openly discuss its suppliers to get an accurate estimate. As for more, a significant pie of the spending would have definitely been allocated to the underlying technological development that tracks human gestures.

Also Read: Apple Vision Pro Now On Sale In US: Price To Specifications, Things To Know About Apple's First 'Spatial Computer'

On a related note, a small portion of users have shared that the headset's screen is developing a hairline crack without any mishandling or drops. Images on Reddit hint the crack appears in the middle around the area, which rests on a user's nose. It could be due to a point of tension at the curvature zone.