Apple job cuts hit Siri, Vision Pro and gaming as AI-glasses pivot accelerates

Apple has carried out job cuts exceeding 200 roles across its Siri, Vision Pro, and gaming teams, underscoring a sharper strategic shift toward AI-powered smart glasses and deeper voice AI integration. The job cuts arrive just days before John Ternus takes over as CEO on September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, and reports say Ternus helped drive the changes. At least 60 of the affected employees were from Apple’s VR development team, which has been eliminated entirely. The broader reduction also targeted staff working on Siri improvements, Vision Pro 3D video production, and Apple’s gaming efforts. Apple previously began restructuring its Vision Products Group for more than a year, and the latest layoffs are described as the final stage of that reorganization rather than a sudden reversal. Vision Pro’s weaker-than-expected commercial performance has shaped the outcome. Launched in early 2024 at $3,499, the headset later saw production and marketing scaled back, with pricing dropping in some markets by mid-2026. Reports indicate Apple has cancelled a planned second-generation Vision Pro and shelved a rumored lower-cost “Vision Air” variant. Apple continues to invest in visionOS, suggesting spatial software development will continue even as hardware priorities move toward lighter, more public-friendly AI glasses, following momentum seen from Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. For crypto traders, these job cuts are a tech-sector corporate signal rather than a direct market catalyst; expect limited immediate spillover to risk assets.