Apple is famous for making life-changing iPhones – but the tech giant seems to be on the decline when it comes to other products.
The California-based company has reportedly canceled work on its next-generation Vision Pro due to critics slamming the current model.
The Vision Pro 2 was poised to be a higher-end headset, but it’s now on the back burner while Apple works on a cheaper Vision Pro.
The original $3,500 headset received a lot of criticism earlier this year after disgruntled customers rushed to return the Vision Pro complaining that the small screen hurt their eyes, it was uncomfortable and the features weren’t worth the high price.
Apple has suspended work on its Vision Pro 2 VR model, which was set to be unveiled next year, in favor of a cheaper alternative
Disgruntled Vision Pro customers were quick to return the headset, complaining that the small screen hurt their eyes, it was uncomfortable and the features weren’t worth the high price.
Apple originally had a sales target of three million Vision Pro headphones sold in the first year, but lowered that to 900,000.
That compares to more than 200 million iPhones sold each year.
Apple is trying to create a more affordable headset for both the consumer and manufacturing endeavours, while also keeping the same high-end components from the Vision Pro, according to The Information.
Codenamed N109, the cheaper headset will be ‘at least a third lighter’ and ditch some features while keeping the high-resolution display.
Apple had intended to launch both the Vision Pro 2 and the N109, but ran into financial trouble – and is now said to be ditching the more expensive model.
Apple said last year that it aimed to align the price of the N109 with a high-end iPhone, charging consumers between $1,500 and $2,500.
It will potentially be released in 2025 without some features, but Apple has yet to confirm which ones will be missing from the new VR device.
The company is said to be working with Seeya Technology, a China-based company, to develop cheaper high-resolution displays.
But a person involved in its production told The Information that “Seeya has so far struggled to meet Apple’s standards, and the effort may fail.”
The initial excitement surrounding the launch of the Vision Pro in February saw pre-orders sell out in 18 minutes and more than 200,000 devices sold in just 10 days, but within weeks, Apple saw average and above-average return rates.
Many of the early reviews of the Vision Pro concluded that it was ambitious but served little purpose.
One critic described it as “a high-tech solution in search of a problem”.
Another user posted on X: ‘Apple Vision Pro is great for some things, but not a day goes by that I don’t get eye strain and a headache.’
Apple has yet to release an app that fully utilizes Vision Pro’s capabilities, focusing on how it can fit more screens and displays into your environment.
“You kind of find yourself in this virtual environment and you’re wondering what are you doing here,” Randy Chia, a product manager for an investment firm in Los Angeles, told Bloomberg.
He said the Vision Pro software had more bugs than any first-generation product he had used, adding that the ‘wow factor’ did not overcome the fact that ‘I’m wearing this big thing on my head.
Many of the early reviews of the Vision Pro concluded that it was ambitious but served little purpose. One critic described it as “a high-tech solution in search of a problem”
Users reported that the screen time was lagging and occasionally freezing. One user said the Vision Pro’s software had more bugs than any first-generation product he had used, adding that the ‘wow factor’ didn’t overcome the fact that ‘I’m wearing this big thing on my head’
Another person compared Meta’s lighter Quest headset to the Vision Pro, saying the latter was the worst option.
‘The thing is also [darn] heavy and everyone knows it, and I’m used to wearing these things,’ the user told the outlet.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company cut its shipments by about half, from 700 to 800 units to just 400 to 450 units as its popular Vision Pro waned in popularity.
“The challenge for the Vision Pro is to address the lack of mainstream apps, pricing and headset comfort without sacrificing the clear user experience,” Kuo wrote in an April report.
“Apple is reviewing and adjusting its head-mounted display product roadmap, so there may not be any new Vision Pro models in 2025,” he continued.
“Apple now expects Vision Pro shipments to drop [year-over-year] in 2025.’
DailyMail.com has contacted Apple for comment.