Apple's next Vision Pro design could be slightly less creepy

When Apple's Vision Pro headset launched to much fanfare back in June, there was one aspect that raised more than a few eyebrows: the price. At $3,499, the AR headset is not, by any stretch of the imagination, cheap. And if new reports are to be believed, neither will its supposedly cheaper follow-up.

According to regular Apple leaker Mark Gurman, Apple could do away with one of the Vision Pro's most notable (and slightly creepy) features: the external display. Y'know, the one that shows a fake reproduction of the wearers eyes on the outside. But even with this omission, it could still cost up to a whopping $2,500.

I described the 'EyeSight' feature as "daft at best, and dystopian at worst" – so you can imagine I wouldn't be too sad to see it go. What is disappointing is that the stripped-back Vision Pro (will it be called Vision Air, Vision SE, or just plain old Vision?) won't have such a stripped-back price Gurman says the price will fall between $1,500 and $2,500, which means it'll still be an entirely premium product.

All of which suggests we're still a long way away from Vision Pro becoming a mainstream piece of tech. The software demos have been impressive so far, and it's easy to see how such an immersive digital experience could transform the likes of, say, the office. But with even the 'budget' version priced higher than most laptops, it could be a while until these things become the norm. But hey, at least we might no longer have to look at a pair of fake digital eyes.