Apple laid off more than 200 employees in August 2026, with cuts hitting both its Siri and Vision Pro divisions, according to Bloomberg. The reductions include largely shutting down a Vision Pro gaming team and reducing the size of the team responsible for Vision Pro immersive content.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said the changes were made “to evolve our business to deliver the best experiences for our users,” adding that new roles would be created. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.
The Vision Pro headset launched in early 2024 at $3,499, positioning Apple in the “spatial computing” market. The device does not appear to have performed strongly commercially. While Bloomberg reported in May 2026 that Apple is working on a slimmer, lighter successor to the current Vision Pro — which received an M5 chip update last year — a report weeks later indicated Apple had suspended work with Samsung Display on a display for a lower-cost XR device.
Despite the Vision Pro struggles, Apple is reportedly planning to enter the smart glasses market, following the success of Meta’s smart glasses. Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to announce its own smart glasses at WWDC in 2027 and launch them by the end of that year. WWDC is typically held in June.
On the Siri side, Apple unveiled a revamped, AI-powered version of its voice assistant at this year’s WWDC. The updated Siri is expected to become available to the public in beta later in 2026.
The layoffs suggest Apple may be narrowing its near-term focus on Vision Pro content and gaming while shifting resources toward other priorities, including its AI-driven Siri overhaul and its planned smart glasses product.
Source: The Verge