Apple Vision Pro report suggests limited production — but will it matter?

Apple Vision Pro was only just announced this month, yet endless debates and controversies have bubbled since its reveal. Everyone and their mother is asking if this thing is even worth the $3,499 price tag, but a recent report from The Elec suggests that these questions may not even matter.

This report claims that Apple’s supply of OLED on silicon panels is exclusively being provided by Sony, but the company has a strict manufacturing limit. Sony can only produce 900,000 units per year, with anywhere between 100,000 to 200,000 per quarter. Considering each headset uses two of these panels, that means only 450,000 devices will be available within a year.

This could easily result in the hardware quickly selling out, but if the reception after its reveal is anything to go by, will it even matter?

Apple’s limited production might not be a problem

Apple lovers are everywhere, but the company’s Vision Pro headset is clearly marketed towards its higher-end audience. With a price tag of $3,499 and consistent concerns about its use case (like whether it will be comfortable during a full workday alongside battery life concerns), it will be difficult to justify for most consumers.

iPhone and MacBook products are undeniably expensive, but they have tons of use cases and people understand what they offer. On the other hand, Apple Vision Pro is an experiment that we might see drastically change over the course of the next few years, and only those with a lot of money to blow will even consider testing this thing out in the early stages.

All of this begs a serious question: Will Apple even hit 450,000 Vision Pro sales within its first year? It’s difficult to make a prediction here, as even its first Apple Watch hit 10 million units — and that was internally considered far below expectation according to The Wall Street Journal. Keep in mind, this debuted as low as $349, which is a tenth the price.

A report from early 2022 by Canalys claims Apple sold nearly 29 million units of MacBook products in 2021. It’s no secret that the number of consumers purchasing an Apple Vision Pro is significantly smaller than the number of those buying MacBook hardware, but the question is whether or not enough Apple enthusiasts can hit that 450,000 threshold over the course of 12 months.

Once again, it’s up in the air. The internet is blowing up with negativity regarding the Vision Pro, but that’s not indicative of what real life sales will look like. But if Apple Vision Pro catches on and shares a fraction of the success MacBook products do, the company will need more units produced. 

The Elec speculates potential candidates include LG Display and Samsung Display, but both have issues. The former currently does not produce OLED on silicon while the latter implements a different technology for its model.

So will Apple Vision Pro even sell out? Some will bet against the company due to the headset’s reception, while others will look at Apple’s sales history and be confident it can reach that number without a sweat. But until the time comes, Apple Vision Pro’s success is up in the air.