Apple Scales Back Vision Pro Production Amid Declining Sales and Market Challenges

Apple Scales Back Vision Pro Production

Apple has significantly reduced production of its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, according to recent reports. The Information, citing sources involved in component manufacturing, reveals that Apple may cease production of the current version by the end of 2024 1

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Production Cuts and Sales Decline

Since early summer, Apple has sharply scaled back Vision Pro production. Employees at three Vision Pro suppliers have reportedly built components for between 500,000 and 600,000 headsets. One supplier's factory suspended production of Vision Pro components in May 1

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Apple has reportedly informed Luxshare, the device's assembler, that manufacturing might need to wind down in November. Luxshare is currently producing about 1,000 Vision Pro headsets daily, half of its peak production rate 3

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Market Challenges and Competition

The Vision Pro's hefty price tag of $3,500 has been a significant barrier to widespread adoption. In contrast, Meta's Quest 3 headset is priced at around $500, offering a more affordable alternative 1

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Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the product's limitations in a recent Wall Street Journal interview, stating, "At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product. Right now, it's an early-adopter product" 3

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Future Prospects and Potential Iterations

Reports suggest Apple may be working on a more affordable Vision Pro product, potentially priced around $2,000, targeted at a broader consumer base. However, it remains uncertain if this price point will be low enough to attract significant consumer interest 2

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Apple has reportedly halted work on a second-generation Vision Pro due to low sales. The company is rumored to be incorporating an AI engine called Apple Intelligence into future iterations of the device 2

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Market Performance and Projections

Initial projections for Vision Pro shipments in 2024 were between 700,000 and 800,000 units. However, these estimates have been revised down to between 400,000 and 450,000 units 2

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In comparison, Meta reportedly sold close to 3 million Quest 3 headsets in the first three quarters after launch, highlighting the significant gap in market performance between the two companies' offerings 3

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