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

Get ready for another contender in the XR arena, as Vivo gears up to introduce its take on Apple’s Vision Pro. The Chinese company, best known for its reliable mid-range smartphones, may not be a name you instantly recognize, but it consistently ranks among the top five smartphone makers in terms of market share.

At the Boao Forum for Asia, held in China’s Hainan Province, Vivo unveiled its first venture into the world of extended reality (XR) with the Vivo Vision. In their press release, Vivo described this move as a significant step in their broader strategy to delve into robotics and XR devices, marking Vivo Vision as a key milestone in their journey through mixed reality technology.

While the official unveiling of Vivo Vision is expected to happen around mid-2025, details about the product are still largely under wraps. Not much is known about the technical specs, operating system, release schedule, international availability, or pricing—essentially, most details aside from the visible design remain undisclosed.

However, if you managed to catch a glimpse of Vivo’s display at the Boao Forum, you would have noticed that the prototype shares some design elements with Apple’s Vision Pro. Vivo has borrowed the distinct headstrap design, the digital crown button, and even the magnetically-attached external battery.

Historically, Vivo’s smartphones run on customized versions of Android—globally, they use Funtouch OS, while Origin OS is reserved for devices sold within China. Given that Vivo Vision is their debut in the XR space, there’s a chance they might adopt Google’s upcoming Android XR OS, the same platform Samsung plans to use for their forthcoming mixed reality project, ‘Project Moohan.’ But let’s be clear—this is purely speculative at this point.

Interestingly, Vivo isn’t alone in this race. Chinese manufacturers are rushing to launch their Vision Pro-like devices. Earlier this year, Play for Dream made waves at CES 2025 with its mixed reality headset. Former Quest engineer Amanda Watson hailed it as “the best all-around HMD demo” she saw on the exhibition floor—an impressive endorsement that speaks volumes about the competition brewing in the XR domain.