Apple Vision Pro: Company cuts hundreds of jobs in the VR and Siri team
High price, too much weight and a narrow niche: the Vision Pro headset forces Apple to make tough cuts. Around 200 jobs will be lost in software development. The tech giant is instead shifting its resources to smart AI services.
Job cuts at Apple due to Vision Pro
At the start, the Vision Pro was considered technically highly developed. However, due to their high price of 3,999 euros and the fact that they are aimed at a small niche, the glasses did not reach the mass market. Apple is therefore cutting around 200 jobs in software development. The internal departments for Vision Pro and the voice assistant Siri are particularly affected. Around 100 jobs will be eliminated in the Vision Pro area. Apple is largely dismantling its internal game development team and reducing the size of its immersive video department.
At the launch, testers praised the micro-OLED displays and the precise controls. The external battery pack and the high weight, however, were considered disadvantages. In the future, third-party providers will develop content for the platform, as their own formats are hardly worthwhile due to the small user base. As X/Mark Gurman reported, the VisionOS operating system will be retained. The glasses are made, among other things, of a magnesium alloy. This makes them complex to manufacture and lowers profit margins compared to other devices.
New focus on smart AI services
The second part of the job cuts affects the Intelligent Systems Experiences team. Apple is realigning its strategy and focusing on the next generation of Siri. In the future, the language assistant will be based on large language models. To achieve this, Apple needs developers with different qualifications and is eliminating existing positions. Internal game development for virtual reality is being significantly scaled back, as is the production of our own immersive videos. At the same time, machine learning specialists are expected to replace classic Siri developers. Apple is shifting resources from hardware to integrated services based on artificial intelligence. The job cuts come during a phase of technological transition.
Apple has to cope with high costs for expanding its infrastructure and is faced with a shortage of memory components. The next Vision Pro model is pushed further into the future. Instead, the group concentrates its resources on intelligent everyday glasses. They should work without complex VR functions and be significantly cheaper. The change in strategy shows the rapid changes in the industry.
