Apple is known for producing life-changing iPhones, but the tech giant seems to be falling flat when it comes to other products.
The California-based company has reportedly canceled work on its next-generation Vision Pro as critics negatively reviewed the current model.
Vision Pro 2 was poised to be a more expensive headset, but is now on the back burner while Apple works on a cheaper Vision Pro.
The original $3,500 headset was widely criticized earlier this year when dissatisfied customers rushed to return the Vision Pro, complaining that the small screen hurt the eyes, it was uncomfortable and the features weren’t worth the high price tag .
Apple has suspended work on its Vision Pro 2 VR model, which was due to be unveiled next year, in favor of a cheaper alternative
Disgruntled Vision Pro customers rushed to return the headset, complaining that the small screen hurt the eyes, it was uncomfortable and the features weren’t worth the high price tag
Apple initially had a sales target of three million Vision Pro headsets sold in the first year, but lowered that to 900,000.
That is compared to the more than 200 million iPhones sold per year.
Apple aims to create a more affordable headset for both consumers and manufacturing efforts, while also retaining the same high-quality components of the Vision Pro, according to The information.
The cheaper headset, codenamed N109, will be ‘at least a third lighter’ and remove some features, while retaining the high-resolution screen.
Apple planned to launch both the Vision Pro 2 and the N109, but ran into financial problems and would now put the more expensive model aside.
Apple said last year it wanted to align the price of the N109 with that of a high-end iPhone, charging consumers between $1,500 and $2,500.
It may be released in 2025 without several features, but Apple has not yet confirmed which ones will be missing from the new VR device.
The company is reportedly working with Seeya Technology, a China-based company, to develop lower-cost, high-resolution displays.
But a person involved in the production told The Information that “Seeya has struggled to meet Apple’s standards so far and that effort could fail.”
The initial excitement surrounding the Vision Pro’s launch in February saw pre-orders sell out in 18 minutes and sell more than 200,000 devices in just 10 days, but within a few weeks Apple was seeing average and above-average return rates.
Many of the early reviews of the Vision Pro concluded that it was ambitious but of little use.
One critic described it as ‘a high-tech solution in search of a problem.’
Another user posted on
Apple has yet to release an app that takes full advantage of the Vision Pro’s capabilities, but focuses on how it can insert more screens and displays into your environment.
“You’re kind of in this virtual environment and you’re wondering what you’re doing here,” Randy Chia, a product manager for a Los Angeles investment firm, told me. Bloomberg.
He said the Vision Pro’s software had the most bugs of any first-generation product he had used, adding that the “wow factor” was outweighed by the fact that “I have this big thing on my head carry.’
Many of the early reviews of the Vision Pro concluded that it was ambitious but of little use. One critic described it as ‘a high-tech solution in search of a problem’
Users reported screen time slowing down and freezing occasionally. One user said the Vision Pro’s software had the most bugs of any first-generation product he had used, adding that the “wow factor” was outweighed by the fact that “I have this big thing on my head bear’
Yet another compared Meta’s lighter Quest headset to the Vision Pro, saying the latter option was the worst alternative.
“The thing is too (damn) heavy and everyone knows it, and I’m used to carrying these things,” the user told the outlet.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company has cut its shipments by about half, from 700 to 800 units to just 400 to 450 units, as the Vision Pro fell in popularity.
“The challenge for Vision Pro is to address the lack of key applications, price and headset comfort without sacrificing the transparent user experience,” Kuo wrote in April report.
“Apple is reviewing and adjusting its product roadmap for head-mounted displays, so there may not be a new Vision Pro model in 2025,” he continued.
“Apple now expects Vision Pro shipments to decline (year-over-year) through 2025.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Apple for comment.