Apple has reportedly reduced the amount of Vision Pro headsets it plans to make for launch, with its manufacturers said to be struggling with some of the high-end device's components.
It was previously estimated that more than 400,000 Apple Vision Pro headsets would be made available in 2024, but insiders have stated that there will now be fewer than that.
The Financial Times claims that that the company thought to be assembling the headset, Luxshare Precision Industry, has been given a lower production target for the next year. And, that two component suppliers have been told to make enough parts for just 130,000 to 150,000 headsets.
This could be down to the fact that a cheaper model has been pushed back - and that the $3,500 first-generation Pro will be the only version available in year one.
Bloomberg reports that the initial production run could have been as high as a million units originally.
Of course, this doesn't reflect badly on the demand for the mixed reality device, rather that it is proving harder to make than expected.
The Apple Vision Pro isn't expected to be available until early next year, but as the FT states, this is more likely to do with supply chain issues. There has been a lot of interest in it since launch, even with the hefty price tag.
It does also mean that Caviar's claims that its highly-limited, gold-plated Apple Vision Pro CVR Edition won't be available until the fall of 2024 is a decent shout. Although you might even find that slipping, if stock turns out not to be as widely available as previously thought.
The Apple Vision Pro was announced during WWDC in June 2023 after years of speculation. It is a mixed reality headset, which means it is primarily designed to add augmented virtual objects onto the real world. However, there will be plenty of VR experiences to enjoy while wearing it, too.
The price was perhaps the most shocking part of the announcement, considering alternatives, such as the forthcoming Meta Quest 3, are priced more around the £500 mark. But, considering this is Apple's first foray in this tech space, we fully expect future models to become more accessible.
