Apple’s Reality Pro headset might cost a lot less than $3,000

If there’s one persistent rumor about Apple’s upcoming AR headset, it’s the price tag. Ever since we started hearing about it, reports have pegged the MSRP at $3,000 or higher, which would make it one of the most expensive non-Mac devices in Apple’s history. However, a new report suggests that the actual price might be significantly lower than that.

As reported by XRDailyNews, Apple’s headset will cost approximately $1,500 to manufacture, which includes several high-end components that are more than $150 each. The total cost was corroborated by multiple supply-chain sources in China, though the site notes that some terms “might not directly correspond to their conventional meanings.”

• Dual M2 processors: $120-$140
• Two micro OLED screens: $280-$320
• 14 cameras: $160
• Optical-mechanical lens system and assembly: $70-$80
• Rearview mirror: $13-$15
• Pupillary distance adjustment module: $30-$35
• 3D sensor part: $80-$90
• Metal middle frame: $95
• Appearance parts: $15-$20
• External battery pack: $22-$25
• Microphone: $21-$22
• Speakers: $16-$18
• PCB+FPC: $40-$45
• Storage: $40-$45
• WiFi/Bluetooth/etc.: $60-$70
• Cooling module: $70
• Auxiliary accessories: $30-$40

Add it all up and you’ve got a total of around $1,500. Of course, the bill of material doesn’t represent the entire cost, which also includes production, shipping, distribution, and other factors, but it shows that the AR headset will be a very high-end device. By comparison, the manufacturing cost of the Meta Quest 2 is reportedly around $750.

So let’s do some math. The iPhone 14 Pro Max costs Apple roughly $475 to make and sells for $1,100. Assuming a 40 percent gross margin, there are about $185 in added costs, which shouldn’t be much higher for the headset. But even if we tack on $250 per unit, that brings the total price to $1,750. If you factor in Apple’s 40 percent gross margins, that would bring the MSRP to right around $3,000.

But a Bloomberg report this week claims Apple could sell the headset “at cost” and has even considered selling it at a loss to generate sales. That means the headset could come in as low as $1,999, which would practically seem like a bargain compared to the rumors of a $2,999 price tag.

We should know in just a matter of weeks. The WWDC keynote kicks off on June 5, just two weeks from Monday.