New rumor suggests that a more affordable second-gen Apple AR headset is already in the works

Soon, Apple might finally announce its long-awaited AR/VR headset. According to rumors, the tech giant will release its Apple Reality Pro during its WWDC conference in June. The rumor has it that the headset will feature cutting-edge technology like pass-through cameras and in-air typing.

Of course, when a product is so sophisticated, it also comes with a high price tag. And the rumored price of that thing is just mental. According to rumors, Apple's first AR/VR headset will cost around $3,000, which is a sum that probably not many people will want to spend on a first-gen AR/VR headset.

However, a new report from Nikkei Asia (via 9to5Mac) claims that the next-gen Apple Reality Pro will have a more budget-friendly price tag than the first-gen headset. According to Nikkei's sources, Apple has tasked Foxconn with automating mass production and improving the production performance of the gen 2 Apple Reality Pro to help Apple reduce overall costs. The sources also claim that Foxconn is working on this task "in parallel" with the Reality Pro launch.

Now, this isn't the first report suggesting that Apple is working on a more budget-friendly AR headset. In January, The Information reported that Apple might be working on a cheaper version of its Reality Pro and that the tech giant aims to price this device similarly to an iPhone. Assuming that Apple succeeds in its endeavor, it is likely that the device will be priced somewhere in the range of $799 to $1,599, which is a lot, lot better than the whopping $3,000 that the tech giant will probably charge for its first-gen AR headset.