Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) has laid off over 200 employees to reorganize the Siri and Vision Pro teams, accelerating its investment in the next generation of AI assistants and smart glasses.

Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) is undergoing a new round of personnel adjustments involving its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset, and certain AI software teams, resulting in a total of over 200 layoffs. This reorganization reflects that Apple Inc. is reallocating its R&D resources to focus more on the next generation of AI-enabled Siri, smart glasses, and other future devices. According to informed sources, the layoffs affect multiple teams responsible for Siri and Vision Pro, while the Intelligent Systems Experience team under Apple Inc.s software engineering department is also impacted. This team is responsible for some of the AI features on Apple Inc. devices. Overall, about 100 positions related to Vision Pro have been cut, with an additional reduction of around 100 roles in the Siri and software teams, totaling more than 200 affected employees. Apple Inc. confirmed in a statement that the company is reconfiguring certain teams to adapt to business developments and provide users with a better product experience. Apple Inc. stated that new positions will also be created during this adjustment process, though it will impact a "limited number" of existing roles. The company will provide support to affected employees, including allowing them to apply for other internal positions with Apple Inc. Siri Team Reorganization Adjusts Technical Architecture for New Generation AI Assistant The adjustments to the Siri team are closely related to the upcoming launch of a new generation of AI-enabled Siri. The new version of Siri is built on a completely new technical architecture, leading to a change in the professional skills required of developers. Apple Inc. is reducing positions that no longer align with the new technology direction while reallocating R&D resources and creating new roles to support the development of the new Siri. This means that the layoffs in the Siri team are not indicative of Apple Inc. diminishing its investment in voice assistants, but rather a restructuring of personnel in conjunction with the technological upgrade. The Intelligent Systems Experience team is also undergoing a similar reorganization. As more internal Apple Inc. teams begin to integrate AI capabilities into applications, system functionalities, and services, the company is redefining the development responsibilities related to AI, aiming to better match staffing with new business priorities and accelerate AI feature development. In this process, some existing positions will be eliminated, while new AI-related roles will be created. Vision Pro Gaming Team Significantly Shrinks, Immersive Video Department Also Faces Layoffs Compared to Siri, the adjustments in the Vision Pro department are more pronounced. Informed sources revealed that Apple Inc. is effectively shutting down a team dedicated to Vision Pro gaming business while also reducing the department responsible for producing immersive video content. Since its launch, Vision Pro has positioned immersive video as one of its core selling points, but the production costs for such content are very high. Each 3D immersive video typically requires collaboration from multiple internal teams at Apple Inc. and external contractors, with the production cost of a single immersive video program potentially reaching millions of dollars. Due to the limited number of active users of Vision Pro, the high production costs have put pressure on the related business. Apple Inc. will not completely cease the production of immersive videos. In the future, the company plans to reduce the number of internally produced videos while encouraging more third-party developers and content companies to provide related content for Vision Pro. The gaming business faces similar challenges. Although Apple Inc. has maintained a dedicated team for Vision Pro gaming features, the device's popularity among gamers has been relatively limited, leading the company to decide to further scale back its investment in this area. High Price of $3,699 Limits Market Penetration; Apple Inc. Shifts Focus to Smart Glasses Vision Pro is set to officially launch in February 2024 and has long been viewed by Apple Inc. as a key product to usher in the era of "spatial computing." However, the headset's somewhat bulky design and current price of up to $3,699 make it difficult to penetrate the mass consumer market, with actual sales and user numbers failing to achieve the market impact Apple Inc. envisioned when promoting the product. These layoffs do not indicate that Apple Inc. is preparing to abandon Vision Pro. The company has clearly communicated to employees that Vision Pro and its associated visionOS operating system will continue to exist. Apple Inc. is also still considering launching a new generation of Vision Pro, with a possible earliest release date in late 2028. However, from a short-term product strategy perspective, Apple Inc. is reallocating more resources toward smart glasses. Unlike Vision Pro, the planned smart glasses by Apple Inc. will not emphasize immersive video or large-scale gaming but will be positioned as a lighter wearable device that can seamlessly integrate into daily life. The reconfiguration of resources in the Vision Pro team is also described internally at Apple Inc. as a reassessment of business priorities based on actual consumer usage patterns, with R&D resources being redirected toward other future products. Overall, the layoffs of more than 200 employees reflect that Apple Inc. is simultaneously adjusting two significant product lines: on the software side, reconfiguring talent and R&D resources around the new generation of AI-enabled Siri, and on the hardware side, reducing high-cost, low-usage operations within Vision Pro while channeling more resources toward next-generation devices like smart glasses. Apple Inc. has not exited the AI or spatial computing fields but is changing its investment approach. As the new version of Siri adopts a completely new AI technical architecture, content investments in Vision Pro decrease, and smart glasses become a recent focus, Apple Inc. is further clarifying its next stage for R&D directions in AI and wearable devices.