Apple (AAPL.US) Lays Off Over 200 Employees to Restructure Siri and Vision Pro Teams, Accelerating Investment in Next-Gen AI Assistant and Smart Glasses

According to Zhitong Finance APP, Apple (AAPL.US) is undergoing a new round of staff restructuring affecting its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset, and several artificial intelligence software teams, with total layoffs exceeding 200 people. This restructuring reflects Apple's reallocation of R&D resources, putting greater focus on the next-generation AI-powered Siri, smart glasses, and other future devices.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the layoffs involve multiple teams responsible for Siri and Vision Pro, as well as the Intelligent Systems Experience team in Apple’s software engineering department. This team is in charge of some AI capabilities on Apple devices.

Overall, around 100 positions related to the Vision Pro division are being eliminated, while about another 100 jobs are being cut from the Siri and software teams, affecting more than 200 employees in total.

Apple confirmed in a statement that it is reorganizing certain teams to adapt to business development and provide a better product experience for users.

Apple stated that during this adjustment, new positions will also be created, but a “limited number” of existing roles will be affected. The company will offer support to impacted employees, including the option to apply for other internal positions at Apple.

Siri Team Restructuring: Adjusting Technical Architecture for Next-Gen AI Assistant

This adjustment to the Siri team is closely linked to Apple's imminent launch of the next-generation AI-powered Siri.

The new version of Siri is built on an entirely new technical architecture, which means the required expertise for developers has changed. Apple is cutting a small number of roles that no longer align with the new technology direction, reallocating R&D resources, and establishing new positions to support the development of the revamped Siri.

This means that the Siri layoffs are not about Apple weakening its commitment to voice assistants, but are instead adjustments to personnel structure in line with technical architecture upgrades.

The Intelligent Systems Experience team is undergoing a similar restructuring. As more internal Apple teams add AI capabilities to apps, system features, and services, the company is redefining AI development responsibilities to better align staffing with new business priorities and accelerate the development of AI features.

During this process, some original roles will be eliminated while new AI-related positions will be created.

Vision Pro Gaming Team Significantly Downsized; Immersive Video Department Also Faces Layoffs

Compared to Siri, the Vision Pro division is seeing a more significant adjustment this time.

According to people familiar with the matter, Apple is essentially shutting down a team dedicated to Vision Pro gaming, and downsizing the department responsible for producing immersive video content as well.

Since its launch, Vision Pro has promoted immersive video as a core selling point, but the production cost for such content is extremely high. Each 3D immersive video usually requires the cooperation of several Apple teams and external contractors, with the cost to make a single episode potentially reaching millions of dollars.

Due to the limited number of active Vision Pro users, the high content production costs are putting pressure on related business.

Apple will not completely halt the creation of immersive videos. In the future, the company plans to reduce the amount of content produced in-house, while encouraging more third-party developers and content companies to provide content for Vision Pro.

The gaming segment faces similar challenges. Although Apple has maintained a dedicated team for Vision Pro gaming features, the device’s popularity among gamers has been limited, so the company has decided to further reduce its investment in this area.

The $3,699 Price Limits Mass Adoption; Apple Shifts Focus to Smart Glasses

Vision Pro was officially launched in February 2024 and was once seen by Apple as a key product to usher in the “spatial computing” era.

However, the headset’s rather bulky design and a high price tag of $3,699 have made it difficult to penetrate the mass market, and actual sales and user base have not matched the market impact Apple initially expected for the product.

This round of layoffs does not mean Apple is preparing to abandon Vision Pro.

The company has made it clear to employees that Vision Pro and the companion visionOS operating system will continue to exist, and Apple is still considering launching a next-generation Vision Pro, possibly as early as the end of 2028.

But in the short-term product strategy, Apple is reallocating more resources toward smart glasses.

Unlike Vision Pro, the planned smart glasses by Apple will not focus on immersive video or large-scale games, but are positioned as lighter, more practical wearables intended to integrate seamlessly into daily life.

The Vision Pro team’s resource realignment has also been described internally at Apple as a reprioritization in response to actual user behavior, with R&D resources being redirected to other future products.

Overall, this layoff affecting over 200 employees shows Apple is adjusting two major product lines simultaneously: on the software side, reallocating talent and R&D for the new generation of AI-powered Siri, and on the hardware side, scaling back high-cost, low-usage Vision Pro businesses while shifting more resources to smart glasses and other next-gen devices.

Apple is not exiting the AI or spatial computing fields, but is instead changing the way it invests. With the new Siri adopting completely new AI architecture, reduced Vision Pro content investment, and a short-term focus on smart glasses, Apple is further clarifying its next stage roadmap for AI and wearable device R&D.