Apple to make cuts to Vision Pro headset production plans as manufacturing bottlenecks arise: report

Apple has been compelled to make main cuts to the manufacturing forecasts for its mixed-reality Vision Pro headset because of the complexity of the design and difficulties in manufacturing, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing sources.

According to the FT report, Luxshare – the one contract producer that can initially assemble the system -said it was making ready to make fewer than 400,000 items in 2024. Further, two China-based sole suppliers of sure parts for the Vision Pro advised FT that Apple was solely asking them for 130,000 to 150,000 items within the first 12 months.

Both these figures are effectively beneath the inner gross sales goal of 1 million set for the primary 12 months.

The report added {that a} important hurdle is the manufacturing of the smooth screens for the system that comprise two micro-OLED shows — one per eye — and an outward-facing, curved “lenticular” lens. “The inward displays offer a resolution exceeding anything currently on the market, while the outward lens projects the headset wearer’s eyes to the outside world,” it learn.

While Sony and the chipmaker TSMC provided the micro-OLED shows for the prototypes introduced in the course of the the June demonstration, the report prompt that Apple was sad with the suppliers’ productiveness.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset has been touted as the subsequent large factor after the iPhone when it comes to technological innovation, and has been seven years in growth.

Last 12 months, Meta unveiled a brand new model of its digital actuality headset – Quest Pro – tailor-made for working professionals. In March this 12 months, Meta reduce the costs of the Meta Quest Pro from its launch value of $1,499 to $999, and the Quest 2, 256 GB model, for $429 from $499 to stir demand for its VR {hardware}.

The Vision Pro, which can begin at $3,499, is greater than two instances the price of the priciest headset from Meta.

During the corporate’s earnings name in February, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg stated the brand new next-generation shopper headset, slated to be launched “later this year”, will characteristic a greater blended actuality (MR) expertise.

“The Meta Reality ecosystem is relatively new, but I think it’s going to grow a lot in the next few years,” Zuckerberg had then stated. “Later this year, we’re going to launch our next-generation consumer headset, which will feature Meta Reality as well, and I expect that this is going to establish this technology as the baseline for all headsets going forward, and eventually of course for augmented reality (AR) glasses as well.”

(With inputs from businesses. Graphics by Rahul Awasthi)

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