Meta and LG are working together on a new Apple Vision Pro competitor

Even before Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, the Meta already had a virtual reality headset called the Meta Quest (which was created after Meta’s acquisition of Oculus). However, the Meta’s headphones aren’t quite as successful. But Zuckerberg appears to have ambitious plans to compete with the Apple Vision Pro, as a new report indicates that Meta is working with LG to build a new virtual reality headset.

According to a report I shared DownloadVRMeta and LG have teamed up to build future versions of the Quest Pro headphones. Initially, it was believed that Meta was only in talks with LG Display, the subsidiary supplier of LG Displays. However, new information indicates that the partnership has led to a “much broader partnership” with other LG subsidiaries.

LG Electronics will be responsible for assembling the new headphones, while LG Energy and LG Innotek will supply batteries and other components. Of course, Micro OLED screens will be provided by LG Display. This means that LG will have more influence on how the device is manufactured.

While Apple is focused on delivering a premium experience with its new headphones, Meta appears to be interested in both the premium and entry-level segments.

Industry sources claim that the new Meta and LG headset is expected to be launched in 2025 with a price tag of around $2,000. The current Meta Quest Pro costs $999, so it’s likely that both companies will invest in more powerful hardware to compete with the Apple Vision Pro. Meanwhile, Meta will soon release the affordable Meta Quest 3 for $499.

New competitor to Apple Vision Pro

It is undeniable that Apple has chosen the latest technology to build the Vision Pro. Although the exact specifications are not known, we do know that the headset has a Micro OLED screen with a resolution of more than 4K for each eye. The Vision Pro also has 12 cameras, 5 sensors, and 6 microphones for advanced gesture and voice recognition, so it doesn’t require physical controls.

Inside, the Apple Vision Pro runs on an M2 chip (like the latest Macs) and has a new R1 chip that displays images captured by the cameras in real time. On the other hand, the current Meta Quest Pro has a 2K LCD per eye, only five cameras, comes with physical controls for better accuracy, and runs on the Snapdragon XR2 chip.

And with the price going up, Meta may be able to improve some of these aspects to get a product more similar to the Vision Pro. However, the future of both devices is largely unknown at this point. Revenue for Meta’s “Reality Labs XR” division has fallen, while analysts believe Apple will sell no more than 400,000 Vision Pro units by 2024.

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