Apple's Vision Pro Layoffs Were Broader Than First Reported - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple's Vision Pro Layoffs Were Broader Than First Reported

Recent layoffs of Apple employees working on the Vision Pro were broader than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

apple vision pro orange
Last month, Gurman said that Apple cut around 100 jobs from the Vision Products Group, with those cuts centered on the headset's gaming and immersive video teams. Gurman now says the layoffs also reached Vision Pro staff across the rest of the company, including people working on device security, audio engineering, Siri integration, testing, and visionOS. The cuts follow the June departure of Paul Meade, the executive who ran Apple's Vision Pro and smart glasses division, who left Apple for OpenAI.

Gurman reports that people inside the Vision Pro group have spent months lobbying new CEO John Ternus to stay the course on the platform even as sales continue to underwhelm. Colleagues who have discussed the headset with Ternus say he was skeptical of it from the start, seeing it as too bulky and too costly to reach a mass audience.

Interestingly, since visionOS apparently runs on Apple's upcoming smart glasses, the wider layoffs impact software shared across both product lines rather than the headset alone. Ternus is still said to support Apple's smart glasses project, code named N50, which remain on track for launch next year, but Gurman says he would consider walking away from head worn devices as a category altogether if they never catch on with buyers. That willingness also could weigh on the overhauled Vision Pro successor, code named N224, which is not expected before the end of 2028.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:36 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will have an iMac G4-style design and a host of unique features, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The smart home hub is said to feature a square 6-inch display, with variants that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. It features a single FaceTime camera on the front, with microphones and speakers in its connected base. Gurman described the...
HomePod minis on gradient feature 1 1

Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:04 am PDT by
Apple plans to introduce a series of new smart home products on Tuesday, October 13, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple reportedly plans to debut its long-awaited smart home hub device, a new HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV on the date. The new HomePod mini and Apple TV are set to retain their existing designs, but tout faster chips to support Siri AI. The new HomePod mini will...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Event Reportedly Planned for October 13

Sunday October 4, 2026 5:07 pm PDT by
Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple plans to unveil an all-new smart home hub, a new HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV 4K on Tuesday, October 13. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman specified that "Apple is planning to hold an event" that...

Top Rated Comments

SilmarilFinder Avatar
6 weeks ago
More employees worked on that device than it’s customers.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
6 weeks ago
There go my hopes for the Vision Pro Max



Attachment Image
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hajj.david Avatar
6 weeks ago

No there's not. It's been meant to be the next big thing since 2014 and it's never been a thing apart from an ultra niche audience, regardless of the dozens of major brands making these and improving the technology over the last decade. 99% of people do not want to be closed off the rest of the world like that and wearing a heavy bulky headset with poor battery life. One day if they're able to squeeze that technology into normal-sized glasses with AR technology (and not the AR Meta one, also still too bulky) then maybe a wider audience will be interested.
As someone who uses the AVP for 10+ hours a day I will make the following observations:
1. Sometimes (daily) you DO want to be closed off from the rest of the world, whether you are at work, or writing up a book, or just want some quiet game time. Nobody wants to be constantly interrupted in those spheres.
2. The headset loses its bulk with the newer and other 3rd party head straps that very evenly distribute the weight.
3. The battery is irrelevant since its always plugged in

Which leads me to my next point:
Apple should have absolutely made a stripped down version that directly connects with your mac / power and have no or extremely minimal battery (like 5-10 minutes just enough to switch devices without shutting down). Remove the front eyesight thing, perhaps use plastic instead of metal (excuse me polycarbonate per Apple language lol) and it would have solved all of the issues people complain about despite never using it, especially the price.


Apple Vision apologists say that Apple never intended it to be a mainstream product, but rather a niche device. I never bought into that logic, Apple spent over ten years developing this hardware, poured endless money into R&D, and even revamped their entire Apple Store layout for it. You don't make those kinds of investments just to launch a "niche product," especially when you market it as the next big thing using buzzwords like "spatial computing."
It was never meant to be a mainstream product. It is extremely obvious to anyone with minimal deduction that they have been developing this thing for over 20 years and didn't know what to do with it. Rather than throw it all out, why not release it and see where it sticks. For example there has been a huge shift from Apple to cater very strongly to enterprise for the headset because they realize that this is primarily being used as a productivity device.

It is without a doubt the best spatial computing device. Nothing comes close to it and as I mentioned above I use it 10+ hours a day to run my business and we use custom apps to do so.


Just give up on the Vision Pro, it’s not a good product…
Its the best product in its class.


It seems that Ternus has his head screwed on right! This was a bad investment from the start. There should absolutely be a team for AR/VR R&D, but we all knew VR headsets is not ready for mass market. Nobody who isn't wearing face gear (pilots, doctors...) want a helmet when they work.
I didnt even wear glasses before I got my M5 AVP. Its very comfortable one you get the right setup to me it just feels like wearing slightly thick sun glasses.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dirk Pieters Avatar
6 weeks ago
I think visionOS was a great investment in software.

The Vision Pro hardware was always going to be a tough sale at that size, weight and price.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
6 weeks ago
I question the mass market appeal of such things, as most people hate the idea of someone using smart glasses while interacting with them or even people wearing them around them.

However, for certain niches - cyclists, pilots, surgeons, builders, etc - these could be extremely useful.

But as long as companies think they are going to actually find a mass market for smart glasses in social environments, they're kidding themselves.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Leobreaker Avatar
6 weeks ago
I don’t think a new CEO wants “perv glasses” on his first year review meeting.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Oops, Apple's Website Just Hinted at iPad Mini 8
Oops, Apple's Website Just Hinted at iPad Mini 8
5 hours ago
OLED MacBook Pro Won't Get M7 Chips Until Late 2027
OLED MacBook Pro Won't Get M7 Chips Until Late 2027
7 hours ago
Apple Pledged $25 Million to Trump's White House Ballroom
Apple Pledged $25 Million to Trump's White House Ballroom
9 hours ago
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
10 hours ago
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
10 hours ago
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
12 hours ago
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
12 hours ago
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
13 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
14 hours ago
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
15 hours ago
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
15 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Featured on Cover of TIME Magazine: 'New Era'
Apple CEO John Ternus Featured on Cover of TIME Magazine: 'New Era'
16 hours ago
Apple Announces Deadline to 'Get Ready' to Pre-Order the iPhone Duo
Apple Announces Deadline to 'Get Ready' to Pre-Order the iPhone Duo
16 hours ago
MKBHD is 'Not Convinced' About Apple's New HomeView, Here's Why
MKBHD is 'Not Convinced' About Apple's New HomeView, Here's Why
17 hours ago
Apple's Wall-Mounted HomeView Ships Without a Power Adapter
Apple's Wall-Mounted HomeView Ships Without a Power Adapter
17 hours ago
Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million
Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million
18 hours ago
Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'
Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'
18 hours ago
iPhone Duo's A20 Pro Chip Benchmarked Ahead of Launch
iPhone Duo's A20 Pro Chip Benchmarked Ahead of Launch
1 day ago
10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed
10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed
1 day ago
Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion
Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion
1 day ago
Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When
Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When
1 day ago
Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024
Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024
1 day ago
Apple Intelligence Coming to China in December With iOS 27.3
Apple Intelligence Coming to China in December With iOS 27.3
1 day ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
1 day ago
OpenAI Says Ex-Employee Showed Its Device Plans to Apple
OpenAI Says Ex-Employee Showed Its Device Plans to Apple
1 day ago
Discover the Best Cases and Screen Protectors for Your New iPhone Duo
Discover the Best Cases and Screen Protectors for Your New iPhone Duo
1 day ago
Apple Store Near Los Angeles Closed Due to 'Events Beyond Our Control'
Apple Store Near Los Angeles Closed Due to 'Events Beyond Our Control'
2 days ago
No, HomePod Mini 1 Won't Support Siri AI as CNET Reported
No, HomePod Mini 1 Won't Support Siri AI as CNET Reported
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Compromises: Everything You Have to Give Up
iPhone Duo Compromises: Everything You Have to Give Up
2 days ago
Apple HomeView Has These 15 Apps, Some CarPlay Apps and Widgets Also Supported
Apple HomeView Has These 15 Apps, Some CarPlay Apps and Widgets Also Supported
2 days ago