Huawei's Vision Set to Challenge Apple's Vision Pro, Trademark Battle Looms

Reports indicate potential trademark conflicts in China as Apple's Vision Pro faces competition from Huawei's rumored lightweight mixed-reality headset, which will likely debut later this year.

Huawei's Trademark Hold on 'Vision Pro' Paves Way for Potential Clash with Apple

According to records at the China National Intellectual Property Administration's Trademark Office, Huawei, based in Shenzhen, registered the "Vision Pro" trademark in China in 2021. The trademark covers various goods and services like virtual reality (VR) headsets and wearable video displays.

Huawei holds the exclusive rights to the name "Vision Pro" in the country until November 2031.

SCMP reports that according to CNIPA, the US tech behemoth applied for trademark rights to the "Vision Pro" brand last year and is now in the "refusal to re-examine" stage. Apple also used to trademark the "Apple Vision Pro" brand last June, which is still being investigated.

Huawei's first intelligent eyewear device, "Vision Glass," debuted in December 2022, and the company has also launched a line of smart TV screens under the Vision brand.

Following the US release of Apple's Vision Pro in February, local media reported that Huawei plans to release similar headsets. Li Nan, a former marketing director at Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu, shared a Weibo post outlining what a proposed Huawei Vision headset could look like.

According to Li's Weibo post, Huawei's new VR headset may be powered by a chip developed in-house. Late last year, Huawei launched its 5G-capable Mate 60 series, which includes a powerful domestic chip, the Kirin 9000S, which Chinese netizens hail as a symbol of China's ability to defy tough US sanctions.

Li also mentioned that Huawei's headset device could be as light as 350 grams, nearly half the weight of Apple's Vision Pro. Li also stated that Huawei's headset could cost around 15,000 yuan (US$2,090), roughly half the price of Apple's Vision Pro.

Apple Faces Market Challenges in China as Huawei's Dominance Continues Unabated

Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its most recent headset developments. Aside from these potential trademark issues, Apple has faced increasing competition from local tech companies in China.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple's iPhone sales in China fell nearly 25% yearly in the first six weeks of 2024. The US company controls 15.7% of the Chinese market and ranks fourth behind Vivo, Huawei, and Honor. Meanwhile, Huawei saw a 64% increase in sales, capturing 16.5% of the market during the same period.

Nonetheless, Apple is expanding its applied research operations in mainland China. According to a statement released on Tuesday, the Cupertino, California-based company intends to open a new lab in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen later this year.

According to Apple, the Shenzhen lab will improve the company's testing and research capabilities for significant products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro headset. It also intends to expand its research facility in Shanghai to support its product lines.

Huawei's Rumored Vision Headset Poised to Challenge Apple's Dominance in Mixed-Reality Tech

According to a source, Gadgets 360 reports that Apple Vision Pro may soon face stiff competition from Huawei's rumored mixed-reality headset. Apple introduced its $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.9 lakh) headset earlier this month. It is powered by dual M2 and R1 chipsets and features 12 cameras. However, the Chinese brand's wearable device, rumored to be called Huawei Vision, has the potential to outperform its Cupertino-based rival in various ways. Notably, it is said to weigh half as much as the VisionPro.

The information about Huawei's unreleased headset comes from a Weibo post by Li Nan, the former marketing director of the Chinese consumer tech brand Meizu (via Huawei Central). In the post, he revealed the product's name as Huawei Vision, reportedly trademarked by the company in 2019, and stated that it could be of better value than the Apple Vision Pro.

According to the post, the mixed-reality headset could weigh 350g, half of the Apple Vision Pro's 600g weight. However, a lighter weight does not necessarily indicate a lower-quality product. Li Nan also stated that the Chinese brand may use the same 4K Sony micro-OLED display Apple used for its headset.

It is worth noting that most users have rated Apple's wearable display as the most impressive feature. Furthermore, the Huawei Vision is expected to cost $1,750 (approximately Rs. 1.45 lakh), half the Apple headset price.

In addition, the post mentioned that Huawei Vision could be powered by the company's natively developed processors and provide a zero-lag experience. It will be interesting to see how the company plans to find the right Silicon innovation to support such an emerging technology while competing with Apple's processors, which are said to handle data from the Vision Pro's numerous sensors with a 12ms response time and 256GBps bandwidth.

One drawback mentioned in the post is the lack of a feature similar to Apple Vision Pro's EyeSight. This feature projects a replica of the user's eyes onto the outer end of the glasses, allowing non-users to interact with the person. However, some users have reported disliking this feature because it appears unnatural.

While no official launch date has been announced, Huawei's mixed-reality headset is expected to be released later this year.

Photo: Igor Omilaev/Unsplash