Apple reportedly scales back production of its highly-anticipated mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, with indications that manufacturing may cease altogether as early as November. This is after pretty underwhelming demand for the product launched with great expectation.
According to a report from The Information, production has been declining since early summer-with one factory worker saying certain components were halted in May, and that thousands of units remain undelivered. Those employees said Apple currently has enough components to make 500,000 to 600,000 headsets-a supply believed to be sufficient to meet demand for an extended period.
It is said that Luxshare, the Chinese manufacturer responsible for the final assembly of the Vision Pro, had produced about 2,000 units daily at peak times; that number is down to about 1,000 units now.
Apple’s VR Dilemma
Apple has dismantled parts of the production line but indicated that it can indeed scale up production if demand grows. The company may use the same components for a lower-end model or could also update the existing headset with minor software changes by not changing much in the model.
With its price tag of $3,500, heavy build, and all the very common problems associated with VR headsets, including headaches and nausea, not much praise about the display quality and generally intuitive user experience has been able to avoid criticism. Moreover, only a few applications have been written specifically for it-a big drawback.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Apple intends to work on a cheaper version of Vision Pro; the most affordable gadget will hike the sales and also more applications can be brought towards the platform by their developers.
