Despite the much-anticipated launch of Apple’s Vision Pro, reports indicate a struggle in sales for the tech giant’s high-priced mixed reality headset. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently shared insights on Medium, revealing that Apple has slashed its shipment forecast for the pricey device.
Kuo, renowned for his accurate predictions on Apple’s moves, disclosed that the company now anticipates shipping between 400,000 to 450,000 units this year. This figure is a significant downgrade from the earlier projection of 700,000 to 800,000 units or more.
Describing Apple’s decision to reduce Vision Pro production as a strategic move ahead of its global release, Kuo hinted at an unexpected decline in demand, particularly in the US market. He also suggested a cautious outlook regarding international demand.
Moreover, Kuo hinted at a potential shift in Apple’s head-mounted display (HMD) strategy, indicating a possible delay in releasing an updated model in 2025, contrary to earlier expectations.
These assertions by Kuo gain credibility from Bloomberg’s chief correspondent Mark Gurman, a trusted source of Apple-related news. Gurman highlighted a decline in requests for Vision Pro demos at Apple stores, along with dwindling sales figures.
Gurman, who owns a Vision Pro headset himself, admitted a decrease in his personal usage due to its cumbersome nature and lack of compelling applications.
Apple’s Vision Pro, introduced last June with a price tag of $3,499, aimed to revolutionize the augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) market. However, weak demand for the device casts doubts on its potential to invigorate the struggling sector.
Recent industry reports revealed a 19 percent decline in extended reality (XR) headset shipments in 2023, attributed to the absence of innovative devices and compelling use cases beyond gaming.
Although forecasts initially anticipated Vision Pro to stimulate XR content production and drive market growth, Apple’s scaled-back ambitions may hinder this progression, potentially impeding the growth of the AR/VR hardware market as a whole.
