Apple finally announced the Vision Pro headset during its WWDC 2023 event on June 5 and while we were already expecting it to cost a lot, few were ready for just how expensive it would be. But it turns out that there might be a reason for that.
Most of the rumors prior to the Vision Pro's announcement had the headset costing around $3,000 but few were ready for the $3,499 price tag that Apple slapped on it. However, a new report suggests that Apple's high price has a basis in reality — because it costs a small fortune to build.
If the report is accurate, the $3,499 Vision Pro costs Apple $1,509 to put together, a sum that might not be all that surprising when you consider how much hardware goes into making the magic that Apple showed off at WWDC. And the figure is even more notable when you look at how much Apple's very best iPhone costs to build.
Big spending Apple
According to industry leaker @Tech_Reve, Apple's Vision Pro BoM (bill of materials) comes in at $1,509 — a figure that is more than three times the $464 Counterpoint Research claims the iPhone 14 Pro Max costs to put together in its 128GB configuration.
So what costs all that money? We're told that the Sony display costs a whopping $700 while having LuxShare put the Vision Pro together costs another $130. The M2 chip that powers the headset is the third most-costly part of the whole headset, coming in at $120 according to the report.
Apple Vision Pro BOM tableTotal cost: $1509The component with the highest proportion in manufacturing cost is the Sony display, costing $700. Next is the assembly cost for LuxShare, which is $130, followed by the $120 M2 processor. pic.twitter.com/YNZUeiwcp1June 7, 2023
When you consider that the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max sells for $1,099 the $3,499 Apple will charge for the Vision Pro headset starts to make a lot more sense.
Not that the mathematics will likely help people afford the Vision Pro headset when it goes on sale in early 2024, of course.