Apple may cut Vision Pro production in half due to lower-than-expected demand, analyst says
24 Apr
2024
– 10:58 am
(updated at 2:18 pm)
After having caused quite a stir since its announcement until the actual start of sales, the Apple Vision Pro seems to have failed to meet expectations in the following weeks. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may reduce the number of headsets produced by half before introducing the device to the European market.
Photo: Ivo Meneghel Jr/Canaltech / Canaltech
Apple Vision Pro may not have reached expected sales (Image: Rafael Damini/Canaltech)
Photo: Canaltech
Kuo points out that the company may order the manufacture of 400 to 450 thousand units of the Vision Pro by the end of 2024, against a previous number that was around 700 to 800 thousand units.
This indicates that Apple may have taken a more cautious path to entering the Vision Pro in new markets, seeing that demand for the headset would have fallen quickly and in large proportions.
Among the potential challenges faced by Apple would be the lack of essential applications for the headset, in addition to its high price and low comfort for use for longer periods.
The product would still suffer from a lack of practical applications and a high price (Image: Disclosure/Apple)
Photo: Canaltech
Furthermore, mixed reality devices (those that combine virtual and real elements in the same viewing space), such as the Vision Pro, have never achieved consolidated success on the market. More consistent examples have already been seen among virtual reality (VR) devices, even though they are still aimed at the gaming niche.
The supposed setbacks that Apple would be facing could also have consequences for the company’s planning. It is possible that the new generation of Vision Pro, previously scheduled for 2025, will be postponed or cancelled, which would cause a decline in the number of headsets sold by the company in a year-on-year analysis.
Some technologies present in the headset may also have their development pace reduced because of this. This is the case of pancake-style lenses, which are seen as a fundamental factor in the development of the optical sector, but have a higher price compared to traditional lenses.
The Micro OLED display technology, also used in the Vision Pro, may take longer to be used on a mass scale, including in smaller products such as the Apple Watch.
A specific date for the arrival of the Apple Vision Pro in markets other than the United States has not yet been released, but previous rumors have shown that it could be announced in the United Kingdom and Canada at the end of this year. It should then be launched in other countries in Europe and Asia, but South America appears to be out of the plans.
Source: Medium
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