Vivo Unveils ‘Vision’ MR Headset, Drawing Inspiration from Apple’s Branding and Design

Another contender inspired by Apple’s Vision Pro is on the horizon, and it’s borrowing part of the name too. Enter Vivo Vision.

Vivo, while perhaps not a household name globally, is highly regarded in the smartphone arena for its mid-range devices. The company consistently finds itself among the top five smartphone manufacturers in terms of market share, especially within China.

Recently, at the Boao Forum for Asia held in Hainan Province, Vivo unveiled its ambitious step into the world of extended reality (XR) with its new device, the Vivo Vision. According to their press release, this move is part of a strategic expansion into both robotics and XR technologies. Vivo describes this launch as “a significant milestone in vivo’s exploration of mixed reality technology.”

In a preview, Vivo Vision was put on display at the forum, revealing certain design elements that echo Apple’s Vision Pro. The headset features its own take on a distinctive headstrap design, a digital crown-like button, and a magnetically attached external battery—design choices that clearly nod to Apple’s influence.

Though Vivo Vision is poised for its official debut in mid-2025, most details remain under wraps. We’re left speculating about the headset’s specifications, operating system, launch plans, potential markets, and pricing. All we know for sure about the device relates to its aesthetic design.

Vivo’s smartphones typically run on tailored versions of Android; globally they’ve developed Funtouch OS, while devices in China come with Origin OS. So, there’s a reasonable assumption that Vivo’s foray into XR could feature a similar approach, possibly adopting Google’s upcoming Android XR OS. This operating system is also expected to power Samsung’s future mixed reality endeavor, ‘Project Moohan,’ anticipated to launch later this year. There’s plenty of guesswork here, though.

This development underscores a trend where Chinese tech firms are debuting Vision Pro-like headsets. Earlier, ‘Play for Dream’ captured attention with its own MR (Mixed Reality) headset at CES 2025, earning rave reviews. Amongst its admirers was former Quest engineer Amanda Watson, who lauded it as, “absolutely the best all around HMD demo I saw on the floor today.”

It’s an exciting era for XR technology, with Vivo stepping into the spotlight, paving the way for more innovation and competition in the global tech landscape.