Report Indicates Apple Has Halted Production of Vision Pro Headsets

What Happened?

There is a report indicating technology giant Apple may have halted production of it mixed reality Vision Pro Headsets.

According to The Information ‘component manufacturers said they’d supplied enough parts for over half a million (Vision Pro) headsets, with tens of thousands of undelivered parts filling the suppliers’ warehouses. It was claimed Apple had sold 370,000 Vision Pros (as of the end of 2024) — a figure that seems enormously optimistic, but one that allegedly represents only two-thirds of the stock that had been made.’

In addition, several factories responsible for producing Vision Pro Headset components have reportedly ceased production, suggesting that Apple does not have enough orders to fill.

Why it Matters

Apple’s Vision Pro is a mixed reality headset, and it was widely touted as a higher-end version of Meta’s Quest 3.

Meta’s Quest costs only $300 while the price tag for Apples Vision Pro was $3,500 apiece. Apple had claimed the price difference was due to superior quality and new features, but weak sales suggest those claims were exaggerated.

Overall, the market for virtual reality devices has grown steadily in the past few years, especially since the pandemic. 2020 saw a spike in demand for virtual reality devices as more people isolated to avoid contracting covid-19.

Apple hoped to cash in on the expanding virtual reality market with the Vision Pro.

But According to MacRumors:

‘Apple is said to have told Luxshare, a Chinese company that serves as the Vision Pro's assembler, that it would need to wind down production in November. Luxshare was making around 1,000 Vision Pro headsets per day as of October, which was half that being produced at its peak. Apple will apparently still be able to resume Vision Pro production if sales pick up since the production lines are not yet due to be dismantled.’

If accurate the MacRumors story leaves the door open for Apple to resume production of the Vison Pro at a later date, meaning the stoppage may only be temporary.

How it Affects You

Spatial computing combines the physical world with digital content. Whereas virtual reality devices give users a completely digital experience, spatial computers like the Vision Pro overlay digital content onto the physical world in the viewers field of vision while wearing the device.

The Vision Pro was touted by Apple as the future of work, development, and even leisure, but the high price tag, lack of content, and much cheaper alternatives all combined to hamper sales.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had characterized the Vison Pro as an ‘early adopter product’ targeted to users specifically interested in spatial computing rather that a product for the masses. Yet the scale of Apple’s initial production target was reportedly eight million units, a number too high for something solely targeted for developers.