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Apple has reorganized its virtual and augmented reality division. The company has decided to focus resources on developing an AI version of Siri and smart glasses, as creating a more advanced headset remains a challenge in the current environment.
The decision is yet another sign that the company is reconsidering its approach to mixed reality technologies. According to the publication’s sources, Apple has effectively disbanded the team working on this area, and future CEO John Ternus has suspended some related development. This move was primarily driven by weak sales of the Vision Pro, which failed to meet the company’s expectations.
However, this does not appear to be a complete abandonment of augmented and virtual reality by Apple. The company intends to maintain interest in this market, but development of related projects may now be significantly slower. This approach will allow Apple to rethink its strategy and determine which devices and technologies will appeal to customers in the future.
The situation is further complicated by the high cost of the Vision Pro, which initially became one of the main obstacles to the headset’s mass adoption. Moreover, Apple recently raised prices on several of its devices, pushing the Vision Pro up another $200 to $3,699.
The staff reduction is due to difficulties encountered in the development of virtual reality devices. However, Apple CEO John Ternus likely has no plans to abandon the Vision Pro line. Instead, the company has decided to downsize its team and reallocate some specialists to a more promising area: smart glasses.
