Apple is relying on the Strength & Flexibility of their Supply Chain in China to deliver Apple Vision Pro in early 2024
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Apple has begun to work on future versions of their XR Headset & Smart Glasses under a newly created technology Group

X VISIO PRO

According to a report from Taiwan Electronic Times, Apple's second-generation Vision Pro will have up to four models, two of which have been confirmed: one will be Vison Pro 2 hat will continue to target the high-end of the market. The second model  will be a more affordable version. Apple's goal is to reduce their "bill of materials" (BOM) cost by 50% of Vision Pro that debuts in early 2024.

The second-generation Vision Pro will start sampling in the second quarter of 2024 and is expected to be available to consumers as soon as the second half of 2025.

The report also mentions that Apple is also developing AR glasses simultaneously and there has been a series of patents supporting this just in the last month (01, 02, 03 and 04).

It took Apple more than five years to build the first-generation Vision Pro. The industry points out that the second-generation Vision Pro will take less time to come to market and is expected to enter mass production in 1-2 years .

The first-generation Vision Pro has some amazing technology, but its price of $3,499 will delay reaching most Apple fans.  Therefore, if it wants to open up the XR device market, the affordable version is the way Apple has to take.

XR headsets are currently receiving much attention from Apple. Cook has stated many times before that he believes AR will change human life and will soon be as ubiquitous as the Internet or smartphones, and Apple will continue to invest. There is also news in the supply chain that Apple has indeed invested heavily in this project and recently established a new Vision Pro Group at Apple  responsible for future head-mounted devices [likely led by Mike Rockwell, VP, Technology Development Group].

It is worth mentioning that Apple held an "Apple Vision Pro Developer Lab" event in Shanghai yesterday (November 28) where developers were able to experience visionOS, iPadOS or iOS applications running on Apple Vision Pro. DIGITIMES Research analyzed that after Apple entered XR, 2 million applications on iOS were automatically transferred to the visionOS App Store, which is a great boon to users and developers.

Apple's blockbuster XR product is regarded as a milestone in the development of consumer electronics. Cinda Securities reported on November 26 that Vision Pro is expected to start a new cycle of consumer electronics and its industry supply chain will have many years of growth ahead.

When it comes to specific links in the industrial chain, Minsheng Securities reported on November 13 that Vision Pro's technological innovation is eye-catching and indicates the following main line of hardware upgrades:

  • Optical solution: In terms of VR, Pancake has the advantage of being thin and light, and its weight can be optimized and reduced by about 50%. In addition, the Inter Pupillary Distance (IPD) adjustment equipped on Vision Pro can significantly improve the diopter and imaging quality, and is expected to become mainstream in the long term. In terms of AR, Birdbath is currently the mainstream solution, and the diffraction optical waveguide solution is expected in the future.
  • Display solution: In terms of VR, FastLCD has the best comprehensive effect and cost and is currently mainstream; the Micro OLED used by Vision Pro has up to 23 million pixels per eye and an effect of over 4K, leading a new round of XR display hardware innovation.
  • Perceptual interaction: In terms of sensors, Vision Pro is equipped with 12 cameras + 5 sensors + 6 microphones to provide support for interaction. Users only need to simply look at the App and interact with gestures. In addition, eye tracking technology can greatly improve the interactive experience, allowing applications to move from the B-side to the C-side.

 

Analysts further pointed out that the iteration of XR product technology will bring new growth opportunities for VR hardware. Among them, screen + optics, which accounts for a relatively high value, and the detection supply chain, which is highly customized, deserve special attention.

10.0F0  Supply Chain News & Rumors

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