According to a report, production of the Apple Vision Pro may have been discontinued at the turn of the year. How many devices were produced in total and what will happen next?
In recent months, Apple's "spatial computer" has not necessarily been a source of positive news: Reports of poor sales figures for the Vision Pro were followed by news of reduced production in October, then there was some back and forth regarding a possible successor. Are they working on a Vision Pro 2, or does Apple prefer a cheaper headset model?
In October 2024, MacRumors reported that production of the moderately successful mixed reality device could be completely discontinued by the end of the year, citing a report by The Information and sources mentioned therein. So now, with the turn of the year behind us, the Apple Vision Pro could already be history - at least as far as its production is concerned.
Rest in peace, Vision Pro - but Apple is keeping the option of reviving it open
Apple's Vision Pro was never able to achieve high sales figures, the range of applications was too small, while the hefty price of just under 3,500 US dollars was too high. As a consequence of the low demand, Apple had already cut back production of the headset in summer 2024.
According to MacRumors (via The Information), enough components were produced in total to build 500,000 to 600,000 Vision Pro devices. This is in line with estimates by renowned Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who estimated in December 2024 that around half a million units may have been sold by the end of the year. Apple could therefore still have a few tens to hundreds of thousands of MR glasses in stock to meet further demand.
However, MacRumors also reported a few days ago that there are still thousands of unassembled components in stock and that the production facilities are not yet to be dismantled. This means that Apple would theoretically be able to ramp up production again at any time should demand increase again - although this is unlikely.
Apple's Vision Pro: Which model will be the next?
The development of its successor, the Vision Pro 2, has probably been put on hold for at least a year, while the focus is instead to be on a more affordable model for around 1,500 dollars.
As MacRumors claims to have learned from suppliers, a total of around four million non-Pro headsets are to be produced in the future, which is probably Apple's response to the low demand for the first Vision Pro. Originally, eight million units were planned for production, as can also be seen from the MacRumors report.
However, it is not certain that Apple will really concentrate on a more affordable MR headset first. Bloomberg expert Gurman continues to assume that the Apple Vision Pro 2 will be released between fall 2025 and spring 2026, as t3n also reported in November.
The future of mixed reality at Apple is therefore likely to remain exciting for some time to come, although its first attempt does not necessarily have to be considered a flop. In terms of revenue, the Vision Pro got off to a similar start to the first iPhone. So maybe this really was just the beginning ...
https://t3n.de/news/apple-vision-pro-produktion-eingestellt-1666210/
