Apple reportedly scales back Vision Pro production because of design complexity

APPS

Apple Inc. will produce significantly fewer Vision Pro mixed reality headsets than originally planned, according to a new Financial Times report.

The paper today cited sources as saying that the original plan was to make 1 million headsets in 2024. Apple is believed to have lowered its production goal to under 400,000 units.

The sources didn’t provide a more specific number. However, today’s report detailed that two “sole suppliers” of certain Vision Pro components have been asked to make only enough parts for 130,000 to 150,000 headsets in 2024. That suggests Apple may produce less than one-seventh the number of headsets it had originally intended to make next year. 

The Financial Times’ sources attribute the production cut to the complex design of the Vision Pro. That complexity reportedly makes the headset difficult to manufacture, which has created supply chain challenges for Apple.

One of the manufacturing challenges reportedly delaying production is said to affect the Vision Pro’s two internal displays. Those displays, which are situated in front of the user’s eyes, have 64 times more pixels per square inch than an iPhone. That adds up to more than 23 million pixels, which is three times more than the number offered by a 4K TV.

The Vision Pro’s displays are based on a technology called mini-OLED. It’s an improved, miniaturized version of the OLED display architecture that powers many high-end TVs.

A traditional display comprises two main components: a set of pixels and a so-called backlight that illuminates those pixels. OLED screens like the ones in Apple’s Vision Pro don’t include a backlight, but rather generate their own illumination. That approach reduces power consumption and improves a metric known as the contrast ratio, which is one of the main contributors to display quality.

According to today’s report, Apple reportedly found the manufacturing yield of the Vision Pro’s mini-OLED displays to be too low. The yield is the percentage of products, in this case displays, that are produced without any manufacturing issues. It’s unknown which supplier makes the Vision Pro’s internal mini-LED units. 

Apple is reportedly also facing challenges in manufacturing the headset’s so-called lenticular lens. That’s a component used to give the impression the Vision Pro is transparent like a pair of eyeglasses. To give that impression, the lenticular lens projects an image of the user’s eyes onto the front of the headset.

Apple expects to make the Vision Pro available in the U.S. next year for $3,499. Source recently told Bloomberg reported the company plans to launch a second, more affordable version of the headset by the end of 2025. However, the Financial Times reported today that Apple has pushed back the plan.

Image: Apple