Forecast lowered multiple
Apple has been forced to drastically cut production forecasts for the Vision Pro mixed reality headset it unveiled last month, the Financial Times reported.
The main reasons for the reduction in forecasts were the complexity of the design of the headset and difficulties in production. That said, plans to release a more affordable version of the device had to be shelved, according to several people with direct knowledge of the manufacturing process.
Apple previously confirmed that the $3,500 headset won’t go on sale until “beginning of next year.” Analysts believe this has more to do with supply chain issues than giving developers time to build apps for Vision Pro.
Apple sharply cut production forecast for the latest Vision Pro gadget
Two people close to Apple and Luxshare, the Chinese contract manufacturer that will initially assemble the device, said the company is poised to produce less than 400,000 units in 2024. Several industry sources have reported that Luxshare is currently the only Apple device assembler. Two more Chinese electronics companies for the Vision Pro said that Apple ordered parts for just 130,000-150,000 headsets in the first year. At the same time, the company initially planned to sell at least 1 million devices during the first year.
Micro-OLED displays for the prototypes in the June demonstration were provided by Sony and chip maker TSMC, two people familiar with the matter said. It is also reported that Apple was dissatisfied with the performance of suppliers, in particular, the high percentage of defective micro-OLED. Recall that displays are the most expensive component of Vision Pro.
