- According to the FT, its source
- The headset proved to be too expensive to produce
- It’s the unique hardware components that contribute to the high price tag
- While it was initially talked about 1 million units in the first 12 months, the target volume has now been reduced to 400,000 units
Apple is forced to reduce its planned production volume of the Vision Pro AR headset. It’s not because of the price tag ($3499!), but because of the technical complexity of the design.
The FT reports it, citing its source.. Recall that Apple unveiled the product at the WWDC 2023 conference, which took place in early June.
Before that, however, some experts have expressed doubts about the commercial success of the product.. Two things influenced this – positioning and price tag.</nbsp;
As for the second point, here, in addition to the markup for the brand, the company operated on the complexity and uniqueness of the hardware components. And, apparently, that did affect plans to launch the new product on the open market.
The Vision Pro was supposed to go on sale in early 2024. The production target was 1 million units in the first 12 months.
A Luxshare interviewee told the FT that Apple now expects 400,000 units. It’s a manufacturer from the PRC that will be assembling the Vision Pro.
But that’s not all. Two sources at component suppliers said the company expects only 130,000 to 150,000 units.
This reflects Apple’s uncertainty about the product’s commercial success and marketability.. Oddly enough, the reason for this is the competitive advantage that comes with the high price – the unique hardware components.. That said, the projected profits do not seem to cover the possible costs in the event of low demand. Apple has not yet commented on the situation.</nbsp;
The FT source also clarified the situation with the release of the “popular” version of the Vision Pro. He said that Apple is working on a cheap analog of the headset, but its release has been postponed. Apparently, so that, again, not to interfere with the more expensive version on the market.
The headset’s release has been delayed.