Vision Pro – Apple’s first mixed reality headset announced at the developer conference – WWDC 2023, is said to be facing serious supply chain problems.
According to Neowin, the Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset that allows owners to interact with apps on the screen while viewing the real world, which Apple calls “spatial computing”. At the time of launch, Apple said the company wanted to bridge the gap between the launch and release (early 2024) of the Vision Pro to allow developers to create apps for the device.
However, a new report now shows that the delays are mainly due to production issues rather than developer requests
Sources say Apple has expressed dissatisfaction with the productivity of its manufacturing partners responsible for supplying two key components of the Vision Pro, the micro-OLED display for the wearer’s eyes and the lens. curved outward. It is known that although Sony and TSMC have provided micro-OLED screens for the test samples, the identity of the supplier responsible for large-scale production is still unknown.
troubles Explaining the reasoning behind Apple, technology consultant Jay Goldberg says it’s the most complicated consumer device ever. Overall, there’s a lot of technology in the Vision Pro, and Apple knows it takes time for the company to scale.
Due to these manufacturing challenges, Apple is said to be planning to produce 400,000 fewer Vision Pro units by 2024. The report also highlights two component suppliers revealing that Apple only requires components from 130,000. up to 150,000 units in the first year. This significant reduction in production estimates marks a departure from Apple’s previous internal sales target of 1 million Vision Pro units sold in the first 12 months.
In addition to these supply chain challenges, Apple is said to have postponed the launch of a cheaper version of the Vision glasses aimed at the mass market. Although the company has worked with Samsung and LG to make low-cost Vision glasses, sources indicate that Apple is determined to use micro-OLED technology even on the non-Pro versions