The future landscape of spatial computing has undergone a major transformation on New Year’s Day of 2026 as it has been verified through reports that Apple has scaled back their manufacturing and promotion of their product, Vision Pro. The product, which has been launched as a major breakthrough in technology, has been delayed in terms of their adoption and acceptance as a major player in this industry, forcing Apple to readjust their policies regarding mixed reality.
Despite the initial hoopla and the short-lived boost in demand that occurred after the launch of the M5 Vision Pro variant in the later part of 2025, demand in consumer markets has remained persistently low. According to estimates provided by industry analysts at IDC, only 45,000 units were shipped in the most crucial fourth quarter of 2025. This is in comparison to the typically high sales of millions of units of iPhones and iPads in the holiday season.
There are indications that the Apple production partner, Luxshare, actually stopped the production of the original units as early as 2025 in order to manage the existing stock. Since the company has around 200,000 units in stock, it has actually reached a point where it does not even matter to continue with the production of the hardware units. The company has actually reduced the digital advertising of the device by over 95% in the United States as well as the United Kingdom.
The Hurdle of Premium Pricing and Form Factor
The major challenge, which can limit the general adoption of the device, is its price. At $3,499, Vision Pro definitely aims at being a luxury device, not a necessity. In an economy where consumers become increasingly discriminative with their purchases, the price of the device is on a par with the price of a new MacBook Pro, but it is not exactly a device that the user can utilize on a day-today basis.
Additionally, issues related to comfort and weight have been perpetually addressed by customer reviews. Although a dual knit band design for improving comfort was introduced for better usability, the 600 to 750 gram device is still heavy for use by its intended clientele. The clunky design and limited lifetime of its batteries mean that the Vision Pro headset has found its intended use only in a niche group of early tech supporters and business professionals.
A Critical Shortage of Native Applications
One of the contributing variables to this reduction in production is the unimpressive application ecosystem. Although Apple boasts that it has about 3,000 visionOS applications, this seems woefully small compared to the number available on its iPhone. Even big names from the realm of entertainment, such as Netflix and YouTube, are notorious for not supporting the visionOS and requiring users to access these services from web browsers.
Without “killer apps” that offer a differentiated and essential experience, it is hard to justify the sale of the product. Though the Vision Pro has seen some success in professional arenas such as surgery and pilot training, these specialized applications do not contribute enough to sustain the high volume production of the device.
Focusing on Smart Glasses and the Availability of Alternatives
It seems like Apple is not putting aside its ambitions and hopes regarding spatial computing, but it is definitely changing and readjusting course. According to internal sources, the firm is allocating resources and budget to more wearables and socially acceptable technology. There is a focus on moving to smart glasses, like their latest Meta Ray Ban partnership, rather than display-oriented technology.
Further, there is a rumor about a lower-cost variant of the headset potentially hitting the shelves as early as the latter half of 2026 or even 2027. A lower production level of the current flagship model would allow Apple to improve the technology required for a model with lower-cost components. The aim here is to make the “spatial computing” experience available to the masses with a price tag of approximately $2,000.
A Lesson in Early Adopter Technology
It’s no coincidence. The slowdown in Vision Pro production is a clear indication that Apple also has to be mindful of the consumer appetite for costly and cumbersome hardware. Although the capabilities and innovations under the hood in this headset are impressive in many ways, the fact remains that the appetite of the current marketplace is for accessibility and comfort rather than pure capability. There are certainly many things for Apple to learn from its Vision Pro headset.
