Apple reportedly slows down Vision Pro production — a more affordable version may be in the works

Apple is slowing production on its Vision Pro headset and may possibly stop manufacturing it by November, according to a report from The Information citing “multiple people” who build components for the hardware.

The report suggests that the easement started this summer. One factory employee allegedly told the publication that they stopped producing certain components in May, and a warehouse was packed with “tens of thousands of undelivered parts.” Employees at suppliers told The Information that they have enough components for Apple to put together between 500,000 and 600,000 headsets.

It seems that Apple expects that to be enough to cover demand for a while. On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal published a profile of Apple CEO Tim Cook in which he said that “obviously, I’d like to sell more” and that “At $3,500, it’s not a mass-market product.” Instead, he acknowledged that it’s meant for early adopters and that the ecosystem is being built.

Luxshare, a Chinese manufacturer that performs the final assembly of the Vision Pro for Apple, is reportedly making about 1,000 headsets daily, down from 2,000 at the device’s peak.

Apple has taken its production line apart, and it’s possible that if demand were to increase, the company could ramp up production. Apple could also likely use similar components in a cheaper model or release a minor upgrade without major changes to the headset itself, possibly just bumping processors.

The Vision Pro received mixed reviews, with critics generally blown away by the quality of the screens, intuitive gestures, and lack of controllers. But with the $3,500 price tag, developers seemed happy to wait and see, with big names like Netflix and YouTube pointing Vision Pro users to their websites in Safari. No killer app ever materialized, though the Vision Pro’s biggest fans seem to appreciate the ability to use the headset as a high-quality, free-floating Mac display.

In the meantime, Apple has reportedly turned its attention to a cheaper version of the Vision Pro. A lower price tag may attract more interest in the device, which could lead to more developers being willing to invest in making software. That mass-market product isn’t here yet, but hopefully, it’s on the way.