It was supposed to be the new technological revolution from Cupertino, but Vision Pro, the Apple visor, has transformed itself in a costly failure. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for saying it in my own small way, nobody wants to make enemies around. According to the latest rumors, the company has decided to stop producing it due to low demand and negative customer feedback. A bitter epilogue for a device that promised to redefine the way we interact with mixed reality. You know it well: how much I hate to be right.
The end of a dream
According to the information brought back to the net, Apple has stockpiled in its warehouses an inventory sufficient to cover expected demand until the end of 2025. The decision to halt production comes after the company had already significantly reduced volumes last summer. Luxshare, the Chinese manufacturer of Apple's headset, had already received orders to completely cease operations by the end of the year.
Final production had settled at around 1.000 units per day, half of the peak reached. According to Mark Gurman di Bloomberg, total sales have not exceeded 500.000 units since launch, a number well below the Cupertino company's initial expectations.
But it’s not just the price (exorbitant, in my opinion, considering a market that has yet to be created). The problems with Apple Vision Pro aren’t just limited to disappointing sales. Many buyers have returned the device after experiencing side effects like headaches, vision problems, neck pain, and motion sickness. Even those who have decided to keep the Apple headset are using it much less than the company expected.
Apple Visor, an Uncertain Future
While there were earlier rumors of an updated version of Apple's first-generation headset with a faster chip, there has been no further news on the matter. It is unclear whether the project is still ongoing or has been shelved altogether. The device was unveiled to much fanfare in June 2023 during the Worldwide Developers Conference by Apple, to be released in February 2024. Mixed reviews from the media and a prohibitive price never allowed the product to take off on the market. Cupertino is betting big on the economic model and has told suppliers to expect sales in the order of four million units over the life of the product.
Future strategies
The company is now focusing its efforts on two new projects in the field of mixed reality: a second generation of the Apple headset and a new, cheaper model. Development of the premium version has reportedly been suspended for at least a year to give priority to the low-cost variant.
We'll see. The suppliers have produced enough components for 500.000-600.000 visors by October, but some have stopped production as early as May 2024 due to dismal sales forecasts. Apple’s bet on the mixed reality market now seems to be shifting decisively toward the more affordable end of the market.
The challenge for the future will be to maintain a high quality user experience while significantly reducing production costs. Only time will tell if this strategy will allow Apple to finally conquer a significant share of the mixed reality headset market. At the moment, unfortunately, the latest bite of the apple has caused a great toothache.
