Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

[Reason077]

Too bad the social aspect of it is pretty much zero.

Having used Meta Quest quite a bit, I have pretty much zero interest in their big social platform (Meta Horizon Worlds or whatever) that they were always pushing.

What it is great for is watching movies and playing VR games.

 

[mrmod]

How is apple this incompetent. The hardware was never the issue.... it was the lack of software. There should have been incredible app launches monthly.

 

[Reason077]

The worst part is that they convinced Samsung to make VR headsets too. Talk about wasting money and resources.

Like how the US used NASA to trick the Soviets into wasting money on their own space program, ultimately bankrupting the USSR?

 

[jbc25]

It could have been lighter, simpler and cheaper if it wasn’t so over-engineered with that front screen reflecting eyes etc.

That front screen was a massively over-engineered gimmick with zero added value.

It's a fascinating topic. In a way, I do admire Apple for choosing that front screen. I know why they did it. And I think it's safe to safe to say that almost no other company would have done that. Details like that are one of the reasons why I admire Apple and why I'm even taking time to comment here.

But, they should have also understood that the whole concept of the device is flawed. We've seen this form factor around since the 90s and it never took off for good reason. I get that AR is likely going to become a thing, but I'm just surprised that Apple thought that a 1995 style form factor was the way to go, as opposed to what Meta is doing right now with glasses (and I'm no meta fan).

 

[ThomasJL]

“Can’t innovate anymore, my a**!”

Let’s not forget how the Tim Cook supporters were praising this device and implying that it’s proof that Cook is a visionary. In reality, Cook was pathetically copying Meta by jumping on the VR headset bandwagon (just like he copied Microsoft by jumping on the flat design bandwagon). Why would anyone in his right mind want to copy a loser like Mark F***erberg?

 

[Seoras]

Bigger disaster than Apple Maps.

That's so short sighted to the point of being blind.

The late educationalist, Sir Ken Robinson, talked about education failing because we teach kids not to fail.

• The Fear of Mistakes: Robinson argued that schools stigmatize mistakes. He famously said, "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it... or we get educated out of it." He contended that when children make a mistake, they are often punished or corrected immediately, which teaches them to be afraid of being wrong.
• Risk-Taking: He believed that creativity requires taking risks and making mistakes. If the education system prioritizes standardized testing and "correct" answers above all else, students learn to avoid risk to ensure safety and grades.

This is what Apple does well, they take the risk to fail so they can learn from it. They've had a string of failures. They've had some of the biggest successes too in the history of technology and when they do everyone else copies them...

Maps was NOT a risk, it was a very badly tested release. If Maps was a mistake why is it still there?

 

[chill991]

Bought my M5 back in November. Use it daily. Changed my workflow and made it for the better. I can’t see ever giving it up.

 

[Dark_Omen]

Ask any of the major fan boys and they'll tell you the Vision Pro was a steppingstone product and not a waste of space.

 

[Charlie Bonesx]

600,000 units actually seems pretty good for such a niche and expensive product. That’s more than $2B in revenue:

1) revenue ≠ profit

2) do we actually know how many units were actually sold at msrp and not returned?

 

[HMI]

I would have bought one eventually if it were less money with similar features, even if it were the fourth version years from now. They quit too soon.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Some insights from a VisionOS App developer.

No bueno.

 

[TrendyLicious]

By my maths apple sold just over $2billion worth of these.... Wild to think that that amount of revenue from a product is considered a 'flop.'

 

[turbineseaplane]

By my maths apple sold just over $2billion worth of these.... Wild to think that that amount of revenue from a product is considered a 'flop.'

Revenue ≠ Profit

It's hard to know about the math on these overall, from Apple's POV.

 

[Sallah]

No, I tried it on in an Apple demo session, and criticized it severely here on MacRumors!

A demo doesn’t count as “using it.” That barely scratches the surface.

 

[Sallah]

I agree. The price should stay the same. Instead, Apple should put 2500 $ into the bank account of every buyer. 😀

More seriously, they don’t need to bring the price of the Pro model down, they just have to release a cheaper Air model in addition, by getting rid of a few luxury aspects like that front-screen and all the pricey tech to make a mickey-mouse avatar of the user to be simulated on it.

I’m good with that. The front screen is unnecessary.

 

[Sallah]

Yes. It’s brilliant. But a Meta Quest 3 is 90% of the experience for 15% of the price and you can play Tetris Effect on it.

That was always Apple’s biggest problem.

It’s not. Stop. AVP is leagues better than Quest 3.

 

[iToph]

Even if they just sold 600k units, they generated a Cashflow of >$2.1bn. Not the worst investment if you ask me 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[hieranonymous]

They didn’t even try. So sad. So many solutions staring them in the face, and they’ve said no.

1. More comfortable
2. Cheaper
3. Real controller option that relieves eye strain
4. First party apps that demonstrate the potential and FUN of a VR device, like, idunno, an immersive weather app?

The Vision Pro should have been amazing, instead all it did was help me discover PSVR2 and Gran Turismo 7.

PSVR2 is shockingly good for what it is, but Sony appears to have completely abandoned it. It’s a shame because it’s technologically ambitious and addresses many of the limitations that the original PSVR suffered from. There simply aren’t enough standout titles for it.

 

[hieranonymous]

Even if they just sold 600k units, they generated a Cashflow of >$2.1bn. Not the worst investment if you ask me 🤷🏻‍♂️

Except they spent multiple billions on R&D. They would’ve had to sell millions of units just to break even on their initial outlay.

 

[maxoakland]

Further proves anyone saying "Vision Pro was just for developers, they didn't really want it to be a hit" is coping

 

[maxoakland]

They didn’t even try. So sad. So many solutions staring them in the face, and they’ve said no.

1. More comfortable
2. Cheaper
3. Real controller option that relieves eye strain
4. First party apps that demonstrate the potential and FUN of a VR device, like, idunno, an immersive weather app?

The Vision Pro should have been amazing, instead all it did was help me discover PSVR2 and Gran Turismo 7.

Reminds me of the Touch Bar. Apple doesn't seem to have the ability to build on a product that isn't an instant success.

 

[zapnyc]

All I really wanted was the basic display functionality...I wanted to plug lightweight glasses into my laptop on an airplane or at a cafe and see a giant screen. Basic stuff. I wanted it in the Apple ecosystem...no wacky third party goggle glasses. No super fancy features. Just a quality AR device that I could work on and watch movies with.

If a stripped down, lightweight wired product somehow came out of the Vision Pro at $199-$299 I would throw down my money.

 

[Hastings101]

I am kind of surprised honestly. I never expected it to be much of a hit, but I thought they would develop it into a niche product with a fanbase like they have with Apple TV and HomePod. It must have really flopped hard.

 

[turbineseaplane]

All I really wanted was the basic display functionality...I wanted to plug lightweight glasses into my laptop on an airplane or at a cafe and see a giant screen. I want it in the Apple ecosystem...no wacky third party goggle glasses.

If a stripped down, lightweight wired product somehow came out of the Vision Pro at $199-$299 I would throw down my money.

That's probably a little optimistic given the other Apple Products at that price range.

 

[mudflap]

I wonder if it was the totally outrageous price tag.

All the same, sometimes you need to push the boat out and try new things.

If you did the math with all the tech that was in that thing you'd realize it was a perfectly reasonable price. Still a ton of money, but amazing tech.