Yesterday's report of individual layoffs in the VR division has turned into a corporate restructuring. Apple is parting ways with more than 200 employees, shutting down an entire Vision Pro games team, and scaling back its own production of immersive video content. This time, the company itself is commenting on the matter.
On Thursday, reports indicated at least 60 job cuts, based on a single, unnamed source. This figure for the reduction in the VR team was considered preliminary due to a lack of second-party evidence.
The announcement is now available, and it's significantly larger. According to a report by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is cutting over 200 jobs across several areas – roughly half in the Vision Pro environment and half in the Siri and software teams. An Apple spokesperson has commented on the matter.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple is cutting more than 200 jobs, spread across Vision Pro, Siri and software development.
- Around 100 positions will be filled by the Vision Pro group; a team for games will be largely shut down.
- In-house production of immersive video content is being scaled back; third parties are expected to step in.
- A further 100 or so positions relate to Siri and software, triggered by the new technical architecture behind Siri AI.
- Apple has informed employees that Vision Pro and visionOS will remain; a new model will not be considered until the end of 2028 at the earliest.
How the reduction is distributed
The report divides the cuts into two roughly equal blocks.
| Area | Scope | What's behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Vision Pro Group | approximately 100 positions | Closure of the games team, downsizing of immersive video production |
| Siri and software | approximately 100 positions | Remodeling as a result of the new architecture behind Siri AI |
Yesterday's statement of at least 60 digits therefore only referred to a portion of the data. The two figures do not necessarily contradict each other – the earlier one was explicitly formulated as a lower limit and came from a different source.
The end of the games on Vision Pro
The gaming sector is most significantly affected. According to the report, the team responsible for developing games for the Vision Pro will be largely disbanded.
This makes sense when you consider the second part of the report: Apple is focusing on smart glasses in the short term, and these are not intended to support immersive video or demanding games. The Apple Glasses overview provides information on when the glasses are expected to be released. A team dedicated to content that the upcoming flagship product cannot technically play is not factored into this calculation.
Less immersive video from in-house production
The team responsible for immersive video content is also shrinking. Apple plans to produce fewer of these videos in-house and instead rely on third parties to contribute content.
This is the point at which the change becomes noticeable for headset owners in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Immersive video is the format Apple has been using to promote the Vision Pro since its launch, and it had recently gained momentum: Just at the beginning of August, baseball was broadcast live in the immersive format for the first time. The report does not specify how many more original productions will be created in the future.
Whether third-party providers will fill the gap depends on conditions that Apple has not yet publicly described – production technology, distribution channels, and remuneration.
Why the Siri redesign is costing jobs
The second block is different in nature. According to the report, this is not about a retreat, but rather an exchange of specialist profiles: The new technical foundation behind Siri AI requires different skills than the previous one, which is why Apple is eliminating existing roles, reallocating resources, and creating new positions for the revamped assistant.
That this overhaul would be profound was foreseeable. The extent of the architectural change is illustrated by looking back at why the Siri overhaul for iOS 27 took so long. The Intelligent System Experiences team is also affected, as Apple is restructuring it because numerous groups are now bringing AI features to apps and services.
What Apple itself says about it
A spokesperson told Bloomberg that the changes were intended to further develop the business and provide users with the best possible experience. The statement added that the changes would create new roles while affecting a limited number of existing ones; employees would be offered support during the transition, including the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.
Apple rarely issues a public statement on personnel matters. This is the most important difference from yesterday's report: the matter is no longer based solely on an anonymous source.
Vision Pro remains, a successor is a long way off
Internally, Apple has informed employees that Vision Pro and visionOS will not be discontinued. According to the report, a new model of the headset is not being considered until late 2028 at the earliest.
This is the toughest piece of news of the day. It means that there could be more than two years between the current device and a potential successor – and it fits with the trend of the Vision roadmap shrinking to just two headset models. This doesn't change anything for the existing device: visionOS 27 will be released this fall as planned.
Two renovations, two different stories
Putting both in a single headline obscures an important distinction. With the Siri block, Apple is removing some roles while simultaneously creating new ones – this is the usual procedure when a technical foundation is replaced. With the Vision Pro block, however, an entire area of responsibility disappears without any replacement being named. This is a dismantling, not a restructuring.
For you as a user in this country, the Siri aspect has a second layer of complexity. The redesign is geared towards a platform that won't even launch on iPhones and iPads in the EU for the time being – the reasons are summarized in the DMA dispute regarding Siri AI. Apple is therefore reorganizing its team for a product that is still pending on the most widely used devices here. Siri AI is available on Macs and Vision Pros, however, and the restriction doesn't apply in Switzerland anyway.
The date remains noteworthy. Ten days before John Ternus takes office as CEO, a restructuring plan is made public, affecting two of the three future-oriented areas that his predecessor had championed.
What changes and what doesn't on the device
In the short term, everything remains the same for owners: the software will be released, the device will continue to be supported, and announced content will run. In the medium term, the question will be decided by the supply of new content – by how many immersive titles will actually be released next year and from whom.
Would you prefer a Vision Pro with fewer in-house productions but more third-party content – or was the elaborately produced Apple material precisely the reason the device was worth it for you? Tell us in the comments what you've actually watched in the last few months.
- AirPods with camera: Code reveals resolution and indicator light
- Apple Music labels AI-generated songs with "Made With AI"
- Stick: Season 2 starts on November 4th.
