Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro Face Critical Restructures – XR Today

Following the launch of WWDC and AWE 2024 this week, reports have surfaced indicating that Apple and Meta may be taking critical steps and restructuring methods to reach the top of the XR mountain.

Additionally, as 2024 continues, more major tech vendors are entering the hardware market. While it appears that the space has been taken over by leading firms—like Meta, Apple, HTC VIVE, Lenovo, Varjo, and countless others—that perception could change quickly heading into the new year.

Apple and Meta are aware of this period of change. This week, they revealed that both firms had unveiled significant changes to their headphone distribution operations to reflect modern market changes.

Meta Restructures Reality Labs, Axes Staff

This week, Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth announced that Meta has restructured its Reality Labs division and is hiring to optimize its hardware ambitions.

The CTO revealed that the division is planning to undergo its most significant restructuring since the launch of Reality Labs in 2020. Going forward, the comprehensive solutions division will be divided into two main operational groups.

One of the groups includes an organization called Metaverse, which plans to reboot the technology’s promise using devices such as the Quest line of headphones.

The other group is the upcoming Wearable division. In this division, Reality Labs will focus on expanding and refining its broader hardware portfolio, including the Meta smart glasses product, created together with Ray-Ban.

While the restructuring appears to be a positive move for Meta, which is constantly pushing forward with new XR solutions, the firm is facing layoffs. Meta does not confirm the number; however, layoffs are not out of place and the firm sheds staff every year.

However, the news comes after Meta’s partnership with LG came to a halt. In the coming months leading up to Connect 2024, the series of international decisions and constraints can come together to translate a clear vision for the future of the firm.

The next Apple Vision Pro model has been delayed

News of the Meta revamp comes as Apple also faces rumors of delays to its next Vision Pro product.

According to suppliers of its Vision Pro components, Apple is informing them that the firm plans to suspend production of the next Vision Pro model.

Apple initially planned to debut a cheaper version of the Vision Pro with fewer features. However, according to recent news, Apple is slowing down its plans.

Despite the delays, it appears that Apple is planning to debut Vsion Pro lite in late 2025. The news follows WWDC when Apple debuted new regional availability and enterprise APIs. In the future, a more flexible entry-level space computing device will likely debut to increase the user base after the device’s debut years.