Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is eliminating more than 200 positions across its Siri, software engineering, and Vision Pro divisions as it redirects resources toward artificial intelligence and next-generation hardware.
The layoffs are split roughly evenly, with approximately 100 positions cut within the Vision Pro group and another 100 roles trimmed from the Siri voice assistant team and the Intelligent Systems Experience unit.
The Intelligent Systems Experience group is responsible for developing AI-driven software capabilities across Apple’s product ecosystem, making it a central part of the company’s ongoing technical transformation.
In a company statement, Apple said the team realignments are aimed at evolving its business operations, and that certain existing roles are being impacted as a result.
The company added that it will create new positions and offer affected employees transition support, along with opportunities to apply for alternative roles elsewhere within the organization.
The restructuring within the Siri and Intelligent Systems Experience divisions is tied directly to Apple’s work on an updated, AI-enhanced version of its virtual assistant, which relies on a completely revised technical architecture.
That architectural overhaul requires specialized skill sets that differ from those currently held by parts of the software team, prompting realignments intended to accelerate the assistant’s development.
On the hardware side, the cuts signal a tactical retreat for the $3,699 Vision Pro spatial computer, which has struggled to gain widespread consumer adoption due to its premium price point and physical weight.
Apple is largely dismantling its internal Vision Pro gaming team and scaling back a dedicated immersive video production unit, a move driven in part by the steep cost of producing 3D content, with single episodes running into millions of dollars and requiring multiple production crews.
While Apple plans to continue releasing a limited selection of first-party immersive videos, it intends to lean more heavily on third-party creators to develop content for the Vision Pro platform going forward.
Despite the workforce reductions, Apple confirmed that the Vision Pro hardware line and its visionOS operating system remain active projects within the company’s longer-term product roadmap.
Near-term hardware priorities have shifted toward developing smart glasses that do not require the complex 3D gaming or immersive media infrastructure that defined early Vision Pro ambitions.
An updated Vision Pro model remains under consideration for potential release as early as late 2028, according to Bloomberg, suggesting the company has not fully abandoned the spatial computing category.
AAPL stock eased 0.6% on Friday but closed the week 1.2% higher, and has gained 13.5% year-to-date, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s broader strategic direction despite the near-term workforce adjustments.
