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Apple's Vision Pro Layoffs Were Broader Than First Reported
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kingtj1971
macrumors 6502a
Yep, like many of you are saying here ... this is just a very niche product, period. That's fine if you want to sell at a high price-point to serve the niche. (Makes a lot of sense as a device used by surgeons for training or even as part of surgical procedures, for example.) But I think Apple is primarily a consumer-focused company. How many rack mounted servers do they sell today? How many tablets designed for industrial use?
If Apple wants to continue with that consumer-based focus? Then Vision Pro needs to go. Maybe come back when it all fits in a standard pair of sunglasses.
If Apple wants to continue with that consumer-based focus? Then Vision Pro needs to go. Maybe come back when it all fits in a standard pair of sunglasses.
“Vision Pro” was DOA when they announced the price and falsely advertised it as the next thing for everyone, not just enthusiasts.
What followed was a downward spiral: high prices led to a very small user base, which led to low interest from developers, which led to stagnating interest from users, and so on, while the high price remained unchanged.
What followed was a downward spiral: high prices led to a very small user base, which led to low interest from developers, which led to stagnating interest from users, and so on, while the high price remained unchanged.
I like my Vision Pro, but their multi-app multitasking is ass. You can't really tile windows in space and the focus window has a halo of blur around it beyond be stretched by weird floating controls, and it's not great to use anything but a Mac while using it, so the times when I'm dual wielding the iPad and iPhone it's not really a fit for.
ikramerica
macrumors 68030
Absolutely most people:
1. Don’t want to wear crap on their heads all the time unless they have to.
2. Don’t want people interacting with them if those people are using smart devices that record them unless they are also part of the reason for the use.
100%. There's a reason enterprise doesn't trust Apple. Decades of experience tells them not to, unfortunately. Apple gets on these enterprise kicks from time to time, then drops everything. Fool me once...
And gaming? Sigh. Apple has never been committed to serious gaming and no serious gamer would ever take Apple seriously in this space given Apple's track record.
Vision Pro is done. visionOS might live on and certain aspects of it might make their way into other devices, but "spatial computing" was an unmitigated disaster for Apple. It's very obvious that the public sees no advantage to strapping goggles to one's face in order to send an email.
3D TV failed because of the glasses requirement.
Large market for contact lenses and surgery so people don't have to wear glasses.
Pretty obvious a huge heavy goggle-like headset is not going to have enough market interest for similar reasons.
Large market for contact lenses and surgery so people don't have to wear glasses.
Pretty obvious a huge heavy goggle-like headset is not going to have enough market interest for similar reasons.
The legacy of the initiative is Liquid Glass. Whether that's a good thing or not I've seen enough opinions about the UI elsewhere haha
Parts of those two together doesn't make much sense. The display-less glasses would be even more dependent upon Siri than the Vision Pro is. Unless that 'Sir' strictly meant 'old Sir', they'd be killing off a major feature of the smart glasses. However, if it does mean 'old Sir', then it really doesn't say anything about Vision Pro or the Smart glasses; because Apple is either replacing or totally screwing up Siri in all the products. ( Some stuff isn't going to get "Siri AI' because doesn't run 'Apple Intelligence'. )
Vision Pro has 100's of thousands of customers. Abandon Vision OS for all the shipped product? The enterprise folks who have bought that and then throw them under the bus???? That is a bozo move. Apple is going to get themselves axed off of future consideration. (e.g., surgeons/hospital that adopted the device and then Apple kills it. ) . Apple may not need testing , bug fixes , and security on new prototypes but they have a deployed fleet of product out there. Apple typically support product for around 7+ years so they should stick to their 'word'.
That user base is not millions of customers, but the Vision Pro was never priced to sell to millions. And the costs should have had "support OS for years" built into it.
Shafting current users isn't going to spur future sales. 'Walking away' would need to be future iterations, not doing the proper work software wise. Turnus as hardware might be skewed toward "it is over once sold the hardware" viewpoint. Put should know better after pushing the butterfly keyboard on folks that really isn't true.
"it as the next thing for everyone"? Like when did that happen? The 'Pro' suffix in and of itself says 'not' to that.
Apple's words at release.
" ... Vision Pro is a revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment. Vision Pro seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world and unlocks powerful spatial experiences in visionOS, controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — a user’s eyes, hands, and voice. An all-new App Store provides users with access to more than 1 million compatible apps across iOS and iPadOS, as well as new experiences that take advantage of the unique capabilities of Vision Pro. ...
...
“The era of spatial computing has arrived,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created. Its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine how we connect, create, and explore.” ..."
Apple Vision Pro available in the U.S. on February 2
Apple Vision Pro will be available beginning Friday, February 2, at all U.S. Apple Store locations and the U.S. Apple Store online.
www.apple.com
The MP 2019 was another consumer electronics device created by Apple. Did Apple expect literally everyone to buy one? No. It was never sold that in that context.
Leading with a device with a 'Pro' suffix was suggestive that there would be other devices in the future at lower price points. That would mean that there was no intention of trying to be everything to everybody with just one product. So the Vision Pro was not being sold as the only 'it' for everyone.
There were more folks outside of Apple spinning the 'massive developer opportunity' and 'millions and millions' of users theories. Tech porn press and other vendors like Meta.
"... Meta is hoping that software makers will be inspired to develop apps that increasingly draw users into the space, enabling more people to experience the new virtual environments, .. ..."
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/29/meta-optimistic-vision-pro-launch/
The higher price was because Apple knew it was going to be in lower volume in the first place. Apple was also completely uniterested in Meta's strategy of selling headsets for no profit and tyring to 'buy' market share by throwing money at it.
It was a "pro' device with high materials costs for the displays . custom chip (R1) , and various other attributes.
The major 'downward spiral' was mainly in the fading of the trendy influcencer, FOMO, and/or impulse buyers.
Everyone that has these say they are amazing. I think the right way would be to stay the course with VisionOS, but lower the hardware price and lighten the devices, while still going full steam on glasses. Then again, I'm not the new CEO.