Selling products in a new category is not easy. The first AI-powered hardware in the year of release, such as the AI Pin, all died due to lack of response. It was so difficult that Apple itself has not yet managed to market the Vision Pro to a large audience with only 45,000 sets sold in Q4 2025 according to an IDC report.
The sales volume is very small when compared to the sales figures of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac computers. In a Financial Times report, Apple is said to have cut the Vision Pro advertising budget by up to 95% in the United States and the UK due to lack of response.
Meanwhile, in early 2025, Luxshare reportedly stopped production of the first-generation Vision Pro after 390,000 units were produced. The Vision Pro's reception was only warm in the initial stages, driven by purchases from Apple's most hardcore fans.
Among the issues faced by early users were the heavy headset, short battery life, lack of interesting applications, and a starting price of $3,500 per pair. Since its launch on February 2, 2024, two versions of the Vision Pro have been produced, with the second model equipped with the Apple M5 chip going on sale since October.
Demand for VR and AR headsets has been low as the world is no longer interested in diving into the metaverse and is more interested in smart glasses. This has also caused Meta to reduce its focus on the Meta Quest.
