Apple Scales Back Production of High-End Vision Pro Headphones Amid Sluggish Sales

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has significantly reduced production of its high-tech Vision Pro mixed reality headset since early summer and may halt production of the current model by the end of the year, according to a report. This decision comes amid declining sales, attributed mainly to the product's high cost and competition from more affordable alternatives such as Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ: META) Quest headset.

Launched with a starting price of approximately $3,500 in February, the Vision Pro has seen diminished consumer interest, while Meta's Quest 3 is sold at around $500. Industry insiders have disclosed that employees at three companies supplying components for the Vision Pro were producing parts for an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 units. One supplier reportedly ceased production of Vision Pro parts as early as May.

Recent developments indicate that Apple informed Luxshare, the manufacturer responsible for assembling the device, of the potential production halt in November. This information was shared by an employee of Luxshare, though Apple has not commented on the report.

The report also notes that Apple considered launching a more affordable Vision product with fewer features by the end of 2025 and has paused the development of a subsequent high-tech model following its announcement in June.

The global rollout of the Vision Pro earlier this year was part of Apple's strategy to boost demand and stay ahead of competitors by integrating artificial intelligence into its leading mobile devices.