
Apple shifts to titanium for Vision Pro 2, aiming for lighter, more affordable AR headset
Cupertino: Apple is reportedly making significant strides in reducing the weight of its much-anticipated Vision Pro 2, aiming to address one of the biggest criticisms of its predecessor.
While the original Vision Pro was lauded for its cutting-edge features, its weight became a significant drawback, particularly for users requiring extended wear.
To counter this, Apple is reportedly set to integrate titanium into the construction of the second-generation augmented reality (AR) headset, according to GSM Arena.
According to reports obtained by GSM Arena, the company is opting for titanium primarily in the internal structure of the headset.
This move will help shave off some of the bulk without compromising the device's performance and durability.
The external casing of the headset, however, will still retain an aluminium body, albeit painted in a sleek black shade.
This exterior, according to the reports, will bear a colour reminiscent of "dark graphite blue," a nod to the signature hues Apple used in earlier products like the iPhone 5.
The use of titanium is a bold choice for Apple, considering the material's high cost.
However, it aligns with the company's focus on creating a lighter and more comfortable user experience for the Vision Pro 2, without sacrificing the device's premium feel.
As the device's weight is reduced, it is expected that Apple will also work on addressing the headset's price, which has been a significant barrier for potential customers.
Additionally, rumours suggest that the next-generation AR headset may not carry the "Vision Pro 2" moniker, as some had anticipated.
Instead, the device could be marketed simply as "Vision" or potentially "Vision Air," reflecting its new design philosophy centered on lightness and portability.
With these changes, Apple is not only aiming to improve the overall experience but also to make the device more accessible to a broader audience.
As per GSM Arena, the integration of titanium, combined with other potential cost-saving measures, could pave the way for a more affordable version of the Vision Pro series, making advanced augmented reality technology available to more consumers.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
24-05-2025
- Observer
A ‘Made in America' iPhone? ‘Absurd.'
President Donald Trump went on the offensive against Apple on Friday, demanding that the company begin making iPhones in the United States or pay tariffs of at least 25 per cent on iPhones made abroad. The ultimatum is the latest in a decade-long push to get the technology giant to move its supply chain. When he first ran for president in 2016, Trump promised voters that he would 'get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of other countries.' But instead of bringing its manufacturing home, Apple has shifted production from China to other countries across Asia, including India, Vietnam and Thailand. Almost nothing is made in America, and an estimated 80% of iPhones are still made in China. Could Apple make iPhones in the United States? Yes. Apple could make iPhones in the United States. But doing so would be expensive, difficult and force the company to more than double iPhone prices to $2,000 or more, said Wayne Lam, an analyst with TechInsights, a market research firm. Apple would have to buy new machines and rely on more automation than it uses in China because the US population is so much smaller, Lam said. 'It is absurd,' Lam said. 'In the short term, it's not economically feasible.' There would be some benefits to moving the supply chain, including reducing the environmental costs of shipping products from abroad, said Matthew Moore, who spent nine years as a manufacturing design manager at Apple. But the upsides would be trivial compared to the challenges that would have to be overcome. So why hasn't Apple started production in the United States? Supply chain experts say that shifting iPhone production to the United States in 2025 would be foolish. The iPhone is nearly 20 years old. Apple's top executives have said that people may not need an iPhone in 10 years because it could be replaced by a new device built for artificial intelligence. As a result, Apple would invest a lot of money that it wouldn't be able to recoup, Lam said. 'I would be surprised if there's an iPhone 29,' Lam said, noting that Apple is trying to disrupt the iPhone by making augmented reality products like the Vision Pro. Apple also had a bad experience when it first began assembling Mac desktop computers in the United States in 2013. The company had to temporarily stop production when employees walked off the assembly line at the end of their shift but before their replacements arrived. And it struggled to find a supplier who could make enough of the tiny, custom screws it needed. In 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave Trump a tour of the Texas plant. But recent labels on the computer say that the Mac Pro assembled there is a product of Thailand. The Apple store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, April 8, 2025. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times) What does China offer that the United States doesn't? Small hands, a massive, seasonal workforce and millions of engineers. Young Chinese women have small fingers and that has made them a valuable contributor to iPhone production because they are more nimble at installing screws and other miniature parts in the small device, supply chain experts said. In a recent analysis the company did to explore the feasibility of moving production to the United States, the company determined that it couldn't find people with those skills in the United States, said two people familiar with the analysis who spoke on the condition of anonymity. China has millions of people who migrate around the country to work in factories as Apple revs up production around a new iPhone. They often work from the summer until Chinese New Year, when production slows down, so Apple's suppliers don't have to pay them for a full year of work. They live in dormitories connected to factories with assembly lines longer than a football field, clustered near component suppliers. China has a deep bench of engineering talent. In 2017, Cook said the country has enough tooling engineers to fill multiple football fields, while the United States barely has enough to fill a room. 'These are sophisticated factories with thousands and thousands and thousands of engineers,' Moore said. 'You can't just pick it up and move it.' Apple began revving up production of iPhones in India to avoid local taxes on importing iPhones from China. At the time, India was emerging as the world's second-largest smartphone market behind China. Apple wanted to increase its sales there but couldn't offer competitively priced iPhones without starting production in the country. In many ways, India looks much like China did two decades ago. It has a huge pool of engineers and the country has offered factory subsidies that help limit what Apple has to spend to support manufacturing there. With India's production increasing, is Apple really becoming less dependent on China? Not really. Apple still puts together most of the complex components inside an iPhone in China, including displays and modules for its Face ID technology. Those components, which have gone through a process called subassembly, are shipped to India, where they are bundled into an iPhone like Lego bricks. The result is a final product that can claim to be assembled in India, even if much of the work was done in China. In the process, Apple avoids US tariffs, but the dependency on China remains. - The New York Times


Observer
24-05-2025
- Observer
Is Trump's ‘Made in America' iPhone a fantasy?
SAN FRANCISCO — President Donald Trump went on the offensive against Apple on Friday, demanding that the company begin making iPhones in the United States or pay tariffs of at least 25% on iPhones made abroad. The ultimatum is the latest in a decade-long push to get the technology giant to move its supply chain. When he first ran for president in 2016, Trump promised voters that he would 'get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of other countries.' But instead of bringing its manufacturing home, Apple has shifted production from China to other countries across Asia, including India, Vietnam, and Thailand. Almost nothing is made in America, and an estimated 80% of iPhones are still made in China. Could Apple make iPhones in the United States? Yes. Apple could make iPhones in the United States. But doing so would be expensive, difficult, and force the company to more than double iPhone prices to $2,000 or more, said Wayne Lam, an analyst with TechInsights, a market research firm. Apple would have to buy new machines and rely on more automation than it uses in China because the U.S. population is so much smaller, Lam said. 'It is absurd,' Lam said. 'In the short term, it's not economically feasible.' There would be some benefits to moving the supply chain, including reducing the environmental costs of shipping products from abroad, said Matthew Moore, who spent nine years as a manufacturing design manager at Apple. But the upsides would be trivial compared to the challenges that would have to be overcome. So why hasn't Apple started production in the United States? Supply chain experts say that shifting iPhone production to the United States in 2025 would be foolish. The iPhone is nearly 20 years old. Apple's top executives have said that people may not need an iPhone in 10 years because it could be replaced by a new device built for artificial intelligence. As a result, Apple would invest a lot of money that it wouldn't be able to recoup, Lam said. 'I would be surprised if there's an iPhone 29,' Lam said, noting that Apple is trying to disrupt the iPhone by making augmented reality products like the Vision Pro. Apple also had a bad experience when it first began assembling Mac desktop computers in the United States in 2013. The company had to temporarily stop production when employees walked off the assembly line at the end of their shift, but before their replacements arrived. And it struggled to find a supplier who could make enough of the tiny, custom screws it needed. In 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave Trump a tour of the Texas plant. But recent labels on the computer say that the Mac Pro assembled there is a product of Thailand. What does China offer that the United States doesn't? Small hands, a massive, seasonal workforce, and millions of engineers. Young Chinese women have small fingers and that has made them a valuable contributor to iPhone production because they are more nimble at installing screws and other miniature parts in the small device, supply chain experts said. In a recent analysis the company conducted to explore the feasibility of moving production to the United States, the company determined that it couldn't find people with those skills in the United States, said two people familiar with the analysis who spoke on the condition of anonymity. China has millions of people who migrate around the country to work in factories as Apple revs up production around a new iPhone. They often work from the summer until Chinese New Year, when production slows down, so Apple's suppliers don't have to pay them for a full year of work. They live in dormitories connected to factories with assembly lines longer than a football field, clustered nearby component suppliers. China has a deep bench of engineering talent. In 2017, Cook said the country has enough tooling engineers to fill multiple football fields, while the United States barely has enough to fill a room. 'These are sophisticated factories with thousands and thousands and thousands of engineers,' Moore said. 'You can't just pick it up and move it.' Why has Apple been moving iPhone production to India? Apple began revving up production of iPhones in India to avoid local taxes on importing iPhones from China. At the time, India was emerging as the world's second-largest smartphone market behind China. Apple wanted to increase its sales there but couldn't offer competitively priced iPhones without starting production in the country. In many ways, India looks much like China did two decades ago. It has a huge pool of engineers, and the country has offered factories subsidies that help limit what Apple has to spend to support manufacturing there. With India's production increasing, is Apple becoming less dependent on China? Not really. Apple still puts together most of the complex components inside an iPhone in China, including displays and modules for its Face ID technology. Those components, which have gone through a process called subassembly, are shipped to India, where they are bundled into an iPhone like Lego bricks. The result is a final product that can claim to be assembled in India, even if much of the work was done in China. In the process, Apple avoids U.S. tariffs, but the dependency on China remains. This article originally appeared in


Times of Oman
24-05-2025
- Times of Oman
"If they're to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the US": Trump
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump reiterated his stance of pushing manufacturers to produce devices in the United States. He made the remarks on Friday (US local time), while signing several key executive orders, including one on ushering in nuclear energy. While speaking to the media about the issue of having iPhones manufactured in the US, Trump said, "It would be more, it would also be Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn't be fair. So anybody that makes that product". He said that if the plants are based in the US, there would be no tariffs. "When they build their plant here, there's no tariff. So they're building plants here but I had an understanding with him (Tim Cook) that he wouldn't be doing this. He said he's going to India to build plants. I said, that's okay to go to India, but you're not going to sell into here without tariffs. And that's the way it is." Trump said as most of the work is computerised, he had faith that the prices wouldn't shoot up for the American consumers. He said, "A lot of it's so computerized now. These plants are amazing if you look at them, but they can do that. Apple's coming in with 500 billion dollars. So are the chip companies coming in. The biggest 500 billion, 200 billion, 250 billion dollars they're spending. But we're talking about the iPhone now. And you know, the iPhone, if they're to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the United States. They're able to do that." Earlier on Friday, Trump said that Apple will have to pay a 25 per cent import tariffs if its mobile handsets sold in US are not produced in the boundaries of the country. In a social media post on his Truth Social, US President Donald Trump wrote, "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," "If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter," he further added in the post. Speaking about his administration's decision to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students, Trump said, "Billions of dollars have been paid to Harvard. How ridiculous is that?... And they have USD 52 billion as an endowment... Harvard's going to have to change its ways." Earlier on Thursday, the White House said, "Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right." It accused Harvard leadership of turning "their once-great institution into a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators." Harvard and the Trump administration have been engaged in a conflict for months as the administration demands the university make changes to the programming of the institution, hiring and administration to remove on-campus antisemitism and remove what it termed "racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' practices." The administration has targeted foreign students and employees, whom it believes were part of the contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. During the signing of executive orders, the White House in a statement noted that the US President took a series of executive actions to "unleash nuclear energy in the U.S. as part of the administration's effort to secure the energy future of America and unleash American energy dominance". The White House also noted in another statement that US President Trump also signed an executive order implementing Gold Standard Science to rebuild public trust in the national science enterprise.