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The unveiling of the Vision Pro headset was a big moment for Apple, but not one without its fair share of lukewarm responses. And now, the company may be facing another issue: production problems.
According to a report from The Financial Times, Apple is having to dramatically cut the production of the Vision Pro from over one million to less than 400,000. This reportedly comes from two sources close to both Apple and the manufacturer, Luxshare. The China-based company has increasingly become an important supplier to Apple since last year when it took on more of the share of production of iPhones, AirPods, and other Apple devices in the wake of the protests over pandemic lockdowns at Foxconn.
The over one million was reportedly the target internal sales goal, which is pretty ambitious for a brand-new device that costs $3,499. The report doesn’t indicate that the drop in production is due to lowered expectations around demand. Rather, it seems to be more of a problem with actually getting these things made.
The industry is still catching up to the manufacturing issues created during the pandemic, even for a company as commanding as Apple. But a new product is a new product, especially one as custom and high-end as the Vision Pro. TechCrunch’s summary of the report notes the difficulty of the tiny, 4K mini-OLED displays in particular.
The report also notes that there may be a trickle-down effect on the release of the cheaper version of the Vision Pro — presumedly called just the Vision. While the Vision Pro was scheduled for a release in 2024, the cheaper model is rumored for 2025. We’ll have to see how the release dates play out, but clearly, bringing these new “spatial computing” devices into existence isn’t going to be easy as a new MacBook or iPad.
Editors’ Recommendations
- This $40K Vision Pro mod adds 18K gold to Apple’s headset
- Vision Pro 2: everything we expect from the future of Apple’s headsets
- The Apple Vision Pro has given VR its iPhone moment
- Apple may be forced to change the Vision Pro headset’s name
- Apple’s cheaper version of Vision Pro headset could be years away
Luke Larsen is the Computing Editor, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
5 things you could buy for the cost of an Apple Vision Pro headset
At $3,500, there’s no beating around the bush — the Apple Vision Pro is expensive. Really, really expensive. And even though we did the math and found it’s most likely worth the price, that still doesn’t change the fact that you could spend that money on something else.
Sure, those things might not get you the exact same features you would from an Apple Vision Pro. In fact, some of them are quite different. But when you compare them side by side, you might get more enjoyment out of something else than you would from Apple’s high-tech headset. Here are some fun ways you could spend $3,500 instead of buying the Apple Vision Pro.
A high-end PC
Apple’s new Mac Pro might be dead on arrival
After four long years of waiting, Apple has finally transitioned its Mac Pro away from Intel processors. Now, the M2 Ultra is powering the workstation, and even without concrete benchmarks, there’s little doubt that the Mac Pro will clobber the previous generation. But it unfortunately also lacks everything that made the previous generation so impressive.
Apple has backpedaled on what made the previous Mac Pro such a monumental step forward for the company, and it’s hamstrung the Mac Pro by forcing it onto its own silicon. There’s no doubt the M2 Ultra will be impressive when it launches, but the flexibility afforded by the previous generation isn’t present this time around.
It will be powerful
Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest Pro: How will Apple stack up?
Apple’s new Vision Pro is more than triple the price of Meta’s premium VR headset, the Quest Pro. Is the Vision Pro really worth the extra expense, or will you be just as happy with a Quest Pro and thousands of dollars left in your pocket? You might be surprised at the answer.
Quality is a great way to justify a high price. Meta and Apple each boast advanced designs, better displays, fast performance, and greater comfort than mainstream headsets. When comparing which is the best VR headset, you should consider all of these details. Which aspects are most important depends on how you anticipate using the device.
