The next Apple Vision Pro could get this incredible tandem OLED tech, but what it really needs is a price drop
Apple’s Vision Pro headset is undeniably expensive, but a large part of that price comes down to all the high-end tech it’s absolutely packed with. Unsurprisingly, that includes those incredibly impressive displays, and a new rumor suggests that Apple could improve the Vision Pro’s screens even further when the Vision Pro 2 eventually launches.
According to a machine translated version from an article published by a Korean media outlet SisaJournalSamsung and LG are working on applying tandem stack technology to their micro OLED display panels. Apple’s latest iPad Pro uses tandem OLED technology to improve the device’s brightness and contrast while making the tablet 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 the 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 tech that Apple would likely want to include in the Vision Pro 2 headset, given its potential to pack high-end specs into a very thin frame. The current Vision Pro uses dual 4K micro OLED displays, and a tandem OLED alternative would undoubtedly be better than what’s currently inside Apple’s headset.
Additionally, previous reports have claimed that Apple wants to equip the Vision Pro 2 with advanced micro-OLED displays, so this latest article builds on that idea. If Apple can add tandem OLED to the mix, it could potentially lead to some incredible displays that will put even the best VR headsets to shame.
Is a price increase coming?
If Apple decides to go 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 clear 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 sets a price for its products, it tends to keep it 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 rampant inflation in the years since. Likewise, you can pick up an iMac for $1,299, the same price it’s been for years, while the MacBook Air reliably hovers around the $1,000 mark. (There are exceptions, of course — the tandem OLED iPad Pro is one of them.)
So it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Apple keep the Vision Pro’s price the same, even with this new top-end tech. We know the company is working on a cheaper Vision Pro , and once that comes out, there’ll be less pressure on Apple to drop the price of the regular Vision Pro. At the same time, it’s doubtful Apple will want to push the Vision Pro’s price much higher than its already-pricey $3,499 price tag, 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 introduces this new display tech into its flagship headset – if it even arrives at all. But when it does happen, Vision Pro fans can line up for a veritable feast for the eyes.