Vivo Unveils ‘Vision’ MR Headset, Echoing Apple’s Design and Naming Strategy

Another Vision Pro knock-off is about to hit the market, and this one even carries the ‘Vision’ name.

Though not often in the spotlight, China’s Vivo has carved out a space for itself with its reliable, mid-range smartphones, regularly landing among the top five smartphone makers in terms of market share. Now, making strides into new territories, Vivo unveiled its first foray into the XR arena: the Vivo Vision, at the Boao Forum for Asia in China’s Hainan Province.

In their press statement, Vivo sees this entry into XR as part of a larger ambition to delve into both robotics and XR technology, branding the Vivo Vision as a major step forward in their exploration of mixed reality tech.

During the forum, Vivo showcased a prototype model of its Vision headset. Although details about the specs, operating system, release date, global accessibility, and pricing are still under wraps, there were clear indications that the design drew upon Apple’s Vision Pro. Noteworthy features include a distinctive headstrap design, the integration of a digital crown, and an external battery that connects magnetically.

Traditionally, Vivo’s smartphones operate on modified Android software. The global versions run Funtouch OS, while those specific to China come with Origin OS. Given this approach, Vivo might plan to incorporate Google’s forthcoming Android XR OS, which is being rolled out alongside Samsung’s mixed reality venture, ‘Project Moohan’, anticipated later this year. However, this remains speculative for the moment.

This move by Vivo mirrors a trend of Vision Pro imitations emerging from Chinese manufacturers. One such example is Play for Dream’s MR headset, which not only made a splash at CES 2025 but also received commendations from former Quest engineer Amanda Watson, who remarked it was “absolutely the best all-around HMD demo I saw on the floor today.”