Apple Trims Vision Pro, Siri Teams, Pivots to AI Glasses

Announced August 22, 2026, Apple has reportedly reduced its workforce across the Vision Pro and Siri software divisions. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported the layoffs, affecting approximately 200 employees. Sources indicate about 100 cuts occurred within the Vision Pro unit, with another 100 impacting Siri and other software teams.

According to Bloomberg, the Vision Pro layoffs primarily target teams focused on gaming and immersive video content. This realignment follows earlier reports from last year that Apple had shelved plans for a Vision Pro successor, opting instead to prioritize "Meta-like AI smart glasses," as Bloomberg noted at the time. Further indicating this shift, Apple's VP overseeing Vision Pro recently moved to OpenAI, and teams have reportedly been reassigned from the headset to work on Apple's rumored augmented reality glasses.

The Siri cuts, as [Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/) explains, affect personnel working on the legacy version of the assistant. Apple is transitioning to a new LLM-based Siri AI, which launched with iOS 27, requiring a different skillset within its development teams.

Apple confirmed the restructuring, stating it is "realigning teams based on a changing product mix." While acknowledging the impact on existing roles, the company also noted it would create new positions.

Our take: The high cost of producing immersive video content, combined with the Vision Pro's limited user base, made these cuts inevitable. Priced at $3,699 with a cumbersome user experience, the headset never achieved widespread adoption.

Despite the layoffs, Apple has reportedly assured employees that Vision Pro and visionOS will continue, with a new model potentially arriving by 2028. However, Gurman wrote that with Apple now prioritizing smart glasses that do not emphasize immersive video or gaming, these departmental reductions were a logical consequence of the strategic pivot.