Try not to fall out of your chair in sheer shock, but it turns out that the market for a $3,500 mixed reality headset may not be as big as Apple anticipated. Or viewed from a different lens, the Vision Pro may not have the same cachet as an iPhone or Mac. In the wake of lukewarm sales, Apple’s management team is reportedly rethinking its Vision Pro strategy.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), via Bloomberg, the Vision Pro has failed to sell 100,000 units in a single quarter since it launched in the US in February of this year. Obviously that’s a short-term sample size with one of those quarters being cut short. However, the market research firm further claims that domestic Vision Pro sales are on track to plummet 75% in the current quarter.
The Vision Pro is also super pricey compared to much more budget-friendly headsets like Meta’s Quest 3. To be fair, Apple’s ambitions for the Vision Pro extend beyond the consumer realm and into business and enterprise territories, similar to Microsoft’s strategy with its equally-pricey HoloLens. And perhaps that is where Apple is hitting a snag.
It’s almost like the Vision Pro is stuck in a sort of purgatory, as Apple attempts to straddle the line between consumer and professional market segments. But it’s too pricey for the former, and lacks enough content for the latter. Those are both areas that need addressed if the Vision Pro is to become a breakout success the way Apple hopes.
“The Vision Pro’s success, regardless of its price, will ultimately depend on the available content,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at IDC. “As Apple expands the product to international markets, it’s crucial that local content is also made available.”