- BOE and SeeYa working on advanced displays for next-gen Vision Pro models
- Apple is currently in testing process of displays supplied from both companies
- Vision Pro currently uses dual 4K micro-OLED panels from Sony
- Manufacturing hurdles influenced Apple to seek other display suppliers
Apple is reportedly looking to include advanced micro-OLED display panels sourced from Chinese suppliers in next-generation models of its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, according to a new report shared today by The Information.
According to the report, Apple is “currently testing” complex displays from two Chinese makers, namely BOE and SeeYa, with an outlook to eventually include them in the supply chain mix of future Vision Pro models, presumably in 2025 when Apple is thought to reveal the second-generation Vision Pro alongside a new low-end model rumored to be priced at less than $2,000.
Apple Vision Pro was first showcased to the public last June at WWDC 2023 after more than two years of extensive speculation. Apple’s first “spatial computer” utilizes dual micro-OLED displays with 4K resolution per panel for each eye. While Apple remains tight-lipped about extensive details of Vision Pro’s displays, the panels are thought to be sourced exclusively from Sony, with an earlier rumor detailing some display specifications including its exact size and refresh rate.
Apple stated that Vision Pro will not go on sale until early 2024, and the unusual internal layout of the headset in addition to the sheer scale of novel technologies going into many of the headset’s components are reportedly to blame for the extensive delay between announcement and market availability.
Overall, the company is estimated to ship just a few hundred thousand units of Vision Pro during its first year of availability mainly due to production issues that have particularly been plaguing the micro-OLED panels as Sony struggles to ramp up mass production. As such, it makes sense for Apple to seek out other display suppliers to spread out the risk of any potential production bottlenecks.