Apple has suspended work on the second-generation Vision Pro headset to singularly focus on a cheaper model, The Information reports.
Apple was widely believed to have plans to divide its Vision product line into two models, with one "Pro" model and one lower-cost standard model. The company is said to have been deprioritizing the next Vision Pro headset over the past year, gradually assigning fewer employees to the project.
Apple first shifted focus to reducing the cost of the first-generation model's components and creating an upgraded display for the next model. Now, the company has apparently told at least one of its suppliers that it has suspended work on the next-generation of its Vision Pro headset. It still is continuing work on a more affordable "Vision" product with fewer features.
The company purportedly began work on a cheaper Vision device in 2022 with the codename "N109." The objective is to sell this model for around the same price as a high-end iPhone, which retails for up to $1,600. At the time Apple began work on the device, it sought to release it at the end of 2024, but as of earlier this year, it still did not have a firm prototype. The company is said to have been struggling to find ways to reduce the model's costs without sacrificing too many features, which means that it will likely slip beyond its revised release date of the end of 2025.
Apple apparently wants to retain the Vision Pro's high-end display components in the low-cost model, which are among the most expensive components in the device. MacRumors previously reported that the cheaper model will feature the same high-end displays as the Vision Pro, but with fewer cameras, a simpler headband, and smaller speakers. Apple also wants to make its cheaper headset at least one-third lighter than the Vision Pro.
One supplier that makes key components for the Vision Pro apparently cut production by 50% in May after receiving a forecast from Apple that predicted weaker demand than expected. Information from this supplier suggests that Apple has produced no more than 500,000 Vision Pro units this year, with no plans to make significantly more than this through August.
The Information says that it is still possible Apple will resume work on a second-generation Vision Pro headset at some point in the future.
Article Link: Apple Reportedly Suspends Work on Vision Pro 2
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