How to start the year with bad news: Apple has reportedly stopped production of the first generation Vision Pro, its mixed reality headset. A decision taken at the end of 2024 and which follows that which had already led the firm to significantly reduce production of the device earlier in the year. In question, a demand has become starving.
Disappointing sales
If you remember The Information’s report from October 2024, Apple had sharply reduced production of the Vision Pro, with a target of completely ceasing manufacturing of the device by the end of the year. The reduction in production began at the beginning of the summer, leaving Apple with enough inventory to meet predictable demand until 2025. This is not an unusual strategy for Apple when it These are products that do not meet sales expectations, as has been the case with models like the iPhone 12 mini.
The Vision Pro, launched with a price tag of $3,499 (and €3,999 in Europe), faced low demand, mainly due to its high cost and a distinct lack of engaging content. Apple has only manufactured between 500,000 and 600,000 units, but stocks have still not been exhausted to date.
Apple informed Luxshare, the Chinese firm responsible for assembling the Vision Pro, that production was to stop in November. By October, Luxshare was producing around 1,000 units per day, a notable decrease from its initial pace. Although the production lines are not intended to be dismantled at the moment, this device allows Apple to restart production if demand turns out to be stronger than expected.
The future of Vision Pro
The Vision Pro, with its high price and nascent ecosystem, did not meet with the expected success, being described by Tim Cook as “a product for early adopters“.
Obviously, all of this affected Apple’s schedule. The American company ended up pausing development of the second-generation Vision Pro to focus on a more affordable version, aiming to expand its customer base. Suppliers are prepared to produce up to four million units of this standard Vision headset, which is still quite low for an Apple product.
Analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman predict a second generation of the Vision Pro with an M5 chip and artificial intelligence enhancements, with a planned launch between fall 2025 and spring 2026, to use up existing component stocks. The base Vision would launch at the same time, probably with the chip from the first model.
Regardless, Apple’s strategy is to continue its work in mixed reality, with the aim of offering a headset that is both efficient and accessible. Still, even much cheaper, we are not sure that users are ready to isolate themselves in a headset. Apple would do better to speed up smart glasses…
