Apple cuts Vision Pro goals after production issues, says FT report

APPLE, Inc. is slashing production targets for its Vision Pro because manufacturers are struggling with the novel gadget’s complex design, the Financial Times (FT) reported.

Apple is now preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units of the $3,499 headset in 2024, it said, citing unidentified people close to Apple and Luxshare Precision Industry Co., the Chinese firm that’s initially assembling the device.

Two China-based suppliers of components said Apple was only asking for enough parts for 130,000 to 150,000 units in the first year, while plans for a cheaper version have been pushed back, the newspaper reported.

Luxshare stock pared earlier gains but was still up about 3.8% Monday afternoon in Shenzhen. Apple shares were little changed in premarket trading before New York exchanges opened on Monday.

Apple made Wall Street history after its market value climbed past $3 trillion, as investors continued to pile into big tech firms.

The Vision Pro, unveiled last month, is its latest move to sustain sales momentum and try to propel a mixed-reality industry that for years has struggled to make it into the mainstream. The device, which resembles high-tech ski goggles, will have its own operating system, visionOS, and a dedicated App Store. It’s slated to arrive early next year in the US, followed by other regions later.

But the new projections are down sharply from a previous internal sales target of one million units in the first 12 months, according to the Financial Times.

A major hurdle is the creation of high-resolution inward displays, while projecting the wearer’s eyes to the outside world, the paper said. Apple is also working on a more affordable version of the headset with Korean display makers, the paper said, citing two people with direct knowledge.

An Apple spokesperson didn’t have immediate comment, while representatives for Luxshare didn’t respond to a request for comment. — Bloomberg