Apple cuts production of flagship VR headsets

Less than 400,000 Vision Pro units are expected to be produced next year, down from previous estimates of around 1 million. Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP

Apple has reportedly cut production of its $3,500 (£2,762) flagship augmented reality headset due to manufacturing difficulties in China.

According to the Financial Times , the tech giant is expected to ship fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro units next year, down from previous estimates of around 1 million sales.

The drop, reportedly driven by difficulty, the release of the next-generation headset is an impediment to CEO Tim Cook's plans to launch the most significant product since the iPhone.

Apple has already said the device won't go on sale until 2024, when it was presented. in June, an unusually long gap between a product announcement and its release to the public. It is also reported that the headset will first go on sale only in the United States.

Vision Pro projects holographic versions of applications onto the user's real world, allowing for example watching huge virtual TVs or hosting multiple computer screens.

Apple boss Tim Cook introduced the Vision Pro in June after years of secret development. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America

Apple introduced it in June after years of secret development, and Mr. Cook called it «a new kind of computer.»

The company decided to introduce an expensive VR device rather than compromise on its quality, unlike Mark Zuckerberg's Business Meta, which sold cheaper headsets aimed at the mass market.

The Vision Pro requires advanced screens high-definition video that have not previously been produced on a significant scale and are reported to be the cause of production problems. . Another vendor said it was only asking for components for 130,000 to 150,000 devices.

The company is expected to release new, cheaper versions of the device in the future as the price of its upgraded components rises. down.

This comes after Apple, the world's most valuable company, hit a $3 trillion valuation for the second time on Friday.

Vision Pro, despite its high price This is not expected to have an immediate impact on Apple's finances, pale in comparison to the iPhone, which sells over $200 billion annually.

Apple did not comment.