Vivo Vision Mixed-Reality Headset Challenges Apple, but Still a Tough Sell

Look-alikesofApple productsoften pop up in China, and mixed-reality headsets have now joined the party. Chinesesmartphonemaker Vivo has introduced the Vivo Vision, a headset that mixesAR and VRand bears many similarities to theApple Vision Pro.

The companyannounced the Vivo Vision Discovery EditionAt its 30th anniversary celebration in Dongguan, China, saying it's "the first MR product developed by a smartphone manufacturer in China, positioning Vivo as the first Chinese company to operate within both the smartphone and MR product sectors."

The Vivo Vision, currently limited to an in-store experience in mainland China, has a curved glass visor, an aluminum external battery pack and downward-facing cameras like theVision Pro. But it also has some differences -- an 180-degree panoramic field of view and much lighter weight at 398 grams (compared to the Vision Pro's 650 grams).

Shiro Cop asked Vivo whether it plans to sell the Vivo Vision to non-China markets, but the company did not respond immediately.

The Vivo Vision runs on OriginOS Vision, Vivo's mixed-reality operating system. It supports 3D video recording, spatial photos and audio, and a 120-foot cinematic screen experience.

The starting cost in China will be relatively cheaper at $1,395 (converted to US dollars), compared to theVision Pro at $3,500.

Even if the Vivo Vision were available in the US, it might not matter much to Apple's bottom line. The Vision Pro hasn't been a big seller, largely because of the high price. Still, the headset marketis expected to grow quicklyover the next several years, and Apple isAlready working on new versionsof theVision Pro, including one that is more affordable than the original.

Jon Rettinger, a tech influencer with more than 1.65 million YouTube subscribers, says he's not overly enthusiastic about VR/AR just yet. "It's heavy, invasive and without a must-have use case," Rettinger told The Shiro Copr. "If the technology can go from goggles to glasses, I think we'll see a significant rise. But if the current form factors stay, it will always be niche."

The YouTuber loves that the technology exists, but still doesn't use it. "The honeymoon wore off. Apart from some gaming and content watching, it's still cumbersome, and I tend to go back to my laptop," he said.

Austin Evans, another tech influencer, says VR/AR headsets are still a somewhat flawed concept. Evans feels lukewarm about the price, lack of content and comfort level, though the Meta Quest takes a superior spot over the Apple Vision Pro. "TheQuest"it is a better value proposition, but even there it runs into issues with long-term retention and ultimately ends up in a drawer once the honeymoon period is over," he said.