Apple cuts Vision Pro production plans due to manufacturing complexities

VisionProThe Vision Pro, which debuted at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in early June, costs $3,500 and represents a major step for the company into XR. The Vision Pro is a high-end headset that combines a virtual reality display with a color see-through camera that allows simultaneous virtual reality and augmented reality tasks.

According to the report, which cites "multiple sources with direct knowledge of the manufacturing process," including sources with ties to Apple and Luxshare, there are rumors that Luxshare, Apple's Chinese partner responsible for assembling the device, is planning to manufacture the device in 2024. The annual production is less than 400,000 Vision Pro.

Supply chain rumors also claim that Apple's two component suppliers in China only have enough components to produce about 130,000 to 150,000 Vision Pro devices. It was previously reported that Apple's internal goal is to sell 1 million units within 12 months.

The manufacturing issues seem to be mostly centered around the Vision Pro's tiny OLED display and the curved prism display on the outside, which allows users to see through their own eyes through a digital see-through view.

In our hands-on experience, we noticed that the Vision Pro packs top-notch lenses and a display that Apple says is better than having a 4K TV for each eye.

According to the Financial Times, the company was unhappy with the productivity of its suppliers. The most expensive component is said to be its internal display, and getting a sufficient number of flawless micro OLED displays is said to be a significant hurdle. Additionally, the Financial Times reported that Sony and chipmaker TSMC supplied the tiny OLED displays used in the headset shown to the press in June.

Meanwhile, Apple is said to be working with Samsung and LG on a second-generation headset, a device expected to be less expensive than the first headset, which will launch in 2024 at $3,500.