This means that in 2025, fans would only see an M5 processor upgrade of the $3,500 mixed-reality headset. Kuo believes that Apple is delaying the less expensive offering to create more “successful use cases” of the product rather than just reducing the price.
As I understand it, production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed beyond 2027 for a while now. This means Apple’s only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor.
I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper…— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 3, 2024
“It’s similar to the HomePod situation—even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers failed to become mainstream products,” Kuo said in a post on X.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple has even considered building a device that offloads many of the features and computing processing to an iPhone, allowing the headset to become more of an accessory to products that consumers already own.
“The device is exceptional for watching videos and doing office work, but its weight, high price and limited content have made it a niche product,” he added.
Due to the failing demand, Apple is also said to have cut back on the Vision Pro shipments to a range of 400,000 to 450,000 units, a contrast to the market consensus of 700,000 to 800,000 units or more in just two months after launching it in the US market.
Gurman also reported on Tuesday that Apple is exploring a push into smart glasses with an internal study of products currently on the market. The initiative, code-named Atlas, got underway last week and involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)