Vivo has entered the mixed reality race with the launch of its first headset, the Vision Explorer Edition, unveiled during its 30th anniversary event in Dongguan. The device puts the Chinese smartphone maker directly against Apple, which introduced its Vision Pro earlier this year. Vivo’s move signals a growing challenge for Apple in a market where lighter, more affordable devices could draw early adopters.
Lightweight Alternative to Apple Vision Pro
The Vision Explorer Edition weighs 398 grams, making it significantly lighter than Apple’s Vision Pro, which weighs over 600 grams. Vivo achieved this through a split design and magnesium alloy components, cutting down bulk without sacrificing durability. The headset is also compact, measuring 83 mm in height and 40 mm in thickness. Comfort features include four mask sizes, eight foam padding options, and a quick-release dual-ring strap.
Inside, the headset uses dual 8K Micro-OLED displays with 3840 × 3552 resolution per eye, 94 percent DCI-P3 color coverage, and factory calibration for brightness and color consistency. For prescription wearers, Vivo offers magnetic optical lenses covering a wide range. Powering the system is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ chip, which delivers 2.5 times the performance of the previous generation. Vivo has paired this hardware with its new OriginOS Vision interface, designed for movie playback, sports replays, and multi-window productivity.
Interaction is handled through precise eye tracking at 1.5 degrees and fingertip gesture recognition across 26 degrees of freedom. The headset’s passthrough video latency stands at just 13 milliseconds, which helps the transition between physical and virtual environments feel natural. Vivo also secured partnerships for content, including sports broadcasts with Migu and spatial photo features compatible with its smartphones.
Vivo’s Strategy
Unlike Apple, which launched its headset directly for sale, Vivo will first host in-store demo experiences across major Chinese cities starting August 22. Pricing has not been finalized, but company executives suggested it could stay under 10,000 yuan (about $1,395). By focusing on accessibility and comfort rather than premium positioning, Vivo aims to broaden MR adoption in China.
According to the company’s official press release, the Vision Explorer Edition represents four years of development and reflects Vivo’s wider push into spatial computing. At the same event, executives highlighted upgrades to the firm’s imaging technology strategy and reaffirmed a long-term commitment to innovation across consumer electronics. Hu Baishan, Vivo’s Executive Vice President and COO, framed the launch as part of a century-long vision to “let technology illuminate beauty” while emphasizing user-focused design.
What this really means is Apple no longer faces competition only from high-end U.S. rivals like Meta. With Vivo entering the field, the pressure is now coming from China too, and the competition is not about cramming in every feature but about winning on usability and price.
