Apple Slashes Vision Pro Production Following Sluggish Sales

As of early January 2026, Apple has reportedly made the difficult decision to sharply scale back production and marketing for its Vision Pro headset. Once hailed by CEO Tim Cook as the dawn of the “spatial computing” era, the $3,499 device has struggled to find a foothold beyond a niche audience of early adopters.

According to data from Sensor Tower and the Financial Times, Apple slashed its digital advertising budget for the Vision Pro by more than 95% throughout 2025. This retreat in promotion follows a series of reports indicating that the headset’s high price point and bulky design have alienated the general consumer market.

While Apple continues to move millions of iPhones and iPads, the Vision Pro’s numbers tell a different story. The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that Apple sold just 45,000 units during the final quarter of 2025—a period usually bolstered by holiday spending. To put this in perspective, Apple’s manufacturing partner, Luxshare, reportedly halted production lines for the first-generation headset at the start of last year to manage excess inventory.

Analysts have identified three primary “deal-breakers” that prevented the Vision Pro from achieving mass-market success:

1. The Price Tag: At £3,199 ($3,499), it remains far more expensive than competitors like Meta’s Quest series, which holds roughly 80% of the market.
2. Comfort Issues: Reviewers and users have consistently complained about the device being too heavy for extended use.
3. The “App Gap”: Despite having 3,000 available apps, it lacks the “must-have” native applications that turned the iPhone into an essential tool.

The apparent pivot away from the current Vision Pro model suggests a change in Apple’s long-term strategy. Reports from the tech industry indicate that Apple has paused development on the next high-end virtual reality headset to prioritize “Apple Intelligence” (AI) wearables.

The 2026 product roadmap suggests that Apple is now working on a more affordable “Vision Air” model, potentially priced around $2,000, which may arrive later this year. Additionally, rumors are swirling about the debut of AI-powered smart glasses—codenamed N50—that would function as an iPhone accessory, focusing on Siri-driven visual intelligence rather than immersive virtual reality.

Apple hasn’t released an official statement on the production cuts, but industry watchers view the move as a strategic realignment toward the growing AI trend, mirroring Meta’s recent shift of investment from the “metaverse” toward AI-enabled eyewear.