According to 9to5Mac, a new Financial Times report details a bleak start to 2026 for the Apple Vision Pro. The report cites IDC data estimating only 45,000 new units sold during the 2025 holiday quarter, which included the launch of the M5 model. It also highlights Sensor Tower figures showing Apple slashed its Vision Pro digital marketing spend in the US and UK by over 95% this year. Furthermore, Counterpoint Research data indicates the overall VR headset market declined by 14% over the past year. Apple does not release official sales numbers, making independent verification difficult, but the cited metrics suggest the high-profile M5 refresh had minimal impact.
The numbers are grim
Look, we all knew the Vision Pro wasn’t setting sales records. But these figures, if even ballpark accurate, are pretty stark. 45,000 units in a holiday quarter? For a company that sells millions of iPhones in a weekend, that’s basically a rounding error. And cutting marketing spend by 95% isn’t just a pullback—it’s a full retreat. That tells you everything about where Apple’s confidence level is for the current product. They’re not trying to push this version to the masses anymore. They’re in R&D mode, waiting for the next big shift.
The real problem isn’t the chip
Here’s the thing: the M5 update was genuinely good. Better comfort, better battery life, more power. I think the technical team did a great job. But it’s like putting a more efficient engine in a concept car that costs $350,000. The fundamental barriers—price, form factor, use case—are still completely intact. You can’t chip your way out of that. The report gets at this by mentioning the “glasses form factor” as the eventual goal. That’s the real target. Everything until then is a developer kit and a proof-of-concept sold at a premium. The M5 Vision Pro is a better version of a product that still doesn’t fit into people’s lives.
Where does Apple go from here?
So what’s next? The report hints that 2026 could be exciting, and I agree, but probably not for sales of the current Vision Pro. The excitement will be about the *roadmap*. We’ll likely see more visionOS updates, more developer tools, and maybe whispers about that mythical glasses design. Apple’s playing the long, long game here. They can afford to. But in the meantime, the VR market itself is contracting, which is a terrible tide for any new headset to swim against. It seems like Apple is now focused on building the platform for a future device, not salvaging this one. And honestly, that’s probably the right call, even if it makes for some ugly reports in the short term.
What do you think? Is the Vision Pro project in trouble, or is this just the expected quiet phase before a glasses-shaped revolution? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter or YouTube.
