The Tame Apple Press had been gearing up for what it was seriously billing as Jobs’ Mob’s “most significant product launch since the iPhone.”

However, it turns out that Apple is making the headset design and its production too tricky.

Apple’s senior management wanted to delay the headset launch until something a little more affordable and easier to build was ready. However, CEO Tim Cook was not having any of it, perhaps because Apple’s so-called innovation crown was slipping and it was starting to look like the company was resting on its iPhone laurels.

Apple has already flagged that the $3,500 "spatial computing" headset device will not go on sale until "early next year," a lengthy gap from its 5 June launch.

Analysts have interpreted this as being more to do with supply chain problems than allowing developers time to create apps for the Vision Pro.

Two people close to Apple and Luxshare, the Chinese contract manufacturer that will initially assemble the device, said it was preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024.

Multiple industry sources said Luxshare was currently Apple's only assembler of the device. Separately, two China-based sole components suppliers for the Vision Pro said Apple only asked them for enough for 130,000 to 150,000 units in the first year.