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The Apple Vision Pro headset has truly pushed the boundaries of augmented reality and spatial computing, but its success is still uncertain, considering the $3,499 price tag. Now, in a recent development, Apple is reportedly facing some major issues in the production of the Vision Pro headset, leading to a significant reduction in the target number of shipments.
Apple, which originally planned to produce one million units, is now aiming for just over 400,000 units for the 2024 release, according to information from the product supply chain. Additionally, two other component suppliers have received orders for a mere 130,000-150,000 units for the next year, further undermining the production scale.
Issues plaguing the production
Although the production of the headset itself is complex, since being a first-generation product, one major issue stems from the EyeSight feature, which utilizes internal cameras to replicate the wearer’s eyes on the front of the headset. This is because the curved cover glass of the device requires precise calibration from these cameras, thus causing bottlenecks and slowing down production. Moreover, the headset’s most expensive components, two micro-OLED displays manufactured by Sony and TSMC, are also suffering from low yields, further complicating the process.
The success of the Vision Pro
Although the analyst firm Canalys recently predicted that within the first five years of its release, Apple could achieve an install base of 20 million users, the success of the headset is still uncertain as there is currently no primary consumer for the headset. Is it a computing device or is it something of a home theatre setup? These questions can only be answered once the headset is released to the public. Additionally, given the hefty price tag of $3,500, it would be unrealistic to expect the Vision Pro to achieve immediate blockbuster status.
Nevertheless, like Meta’s bet on the Metaverse, Apple remains hopeful that their investment in spatial computing will be a success as they are already preparing for future models with lower prices, featuring mini-LED displays manufactured by Samsung and LG. Furthermore, the company is also working on a second-generation flagship model of the Vision Pro.