Apple Cuts 200 Jobs as Trump Ally Joins MAGA Inc
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Apple has cut more than 200 jobs across its Siri and Vision Pro teams, in a reshuffle that Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says reflects two very different situations rather than a single across-the-board cutback. Roughly 100 roles have gone from the Vision Pro division, where Apple has largely shut down its gaming efforts and scaled back the costly immersive-video unit, while a similar number have been cut from Siri and related software teams, including the Intelligent Systems Experience group that builds AI features for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple confirmed the layoffs without giving an exact figure, saying it was realigning teams "to evolve our business" and that new positions were being created alongside the losses, with affected staff able to apply for other roles internally.
The two units diverge sharply in outlook. Vision Pro, launched in February 2024 at $3,499 (now $3,699), has struggled to justify its immersive content, some episodes costing several million dollars for a small audience, and Apple is instead prioritising smart glasses, reportedly aiming to unveil them at WWDC 2027, while a successor Vision Pro headset is not expected before late 2028; Bloomberg also reported that work with Samsung Display on an entry-level XR display had been suspended. Siri, by contrast, is being restructured onto a new AI architecture ahead of a public beta due before the end of 2026, meaning the cuts there reflect a change in required skills rather than a retreat, with incoming CEO John Ternus overseeing the changes.
- Apple cut 200+ jobs across Siri and Vision Pro teams
- Vision Pro gaming team closed, immersive video scaled back
- Siri cuts reflect rebuild for new AI architecture, beta due 2026
Full account
Apple has begun laying off more than 200 employees from the teams behind its Siri voice assistant and its Vision Pro headset, as the company redirects resources towards artificial intelligence and future hardware. The cuts, first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are split roughly evenly: around 100 roles have gone from the Vision Pro division, with a further 100 lost across Siri and related software teams. Also affected is Intelligent Systems Experience, a group within Apple's software engineering organisation that works on AI features spanning the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple confirmed that a restructuring was under way, though it did not verify the precise headcount, saying it was realigning teams 'to evolve our business to deliver the best experiences for our users' and that affected staff would be able to apply for other roles internally.
The Vision Pro division has borne the heavier impact. Apple is largely closing down the team that had been developing games for the headset, and shrinking the unit responsible for producing its immersive video content, which has served as one of the device's key selling points since launch. Filming a single episode of this 3D content can cost several million dollars and requires multiple crews of staff and contractors, an outlay that has become difficult to justify given how few people actively use the headset. Employees were reportedly told the changes reflect a shift in priorities based on actual customer usage patterns, with resources being steered towards other forthcoming products instead.
By contrast, the reshuffle within the Siri team is being framed as forward-looking rather than a retreat. The overhaul is tied to a forthcoming AI-driven version of the assistant, built on a new technical architecture that demands different engineering skills from those Apple currently has in place. As a result, a number of existing roles are being eliminated even as new positions are created to support the rebuilt assistant, which was previewed at Apple's WWDC developer conference earlier this year and is expected to reach public beta before the end of 2026.
The moves come against a backdrop of a wider rethink of Apple's device strategy. The Vision Pro launched in February 2024 at $3,499, a price that has since risen to $3,699, but has struggled to find a mass audience given its weight, cost and limited everyday utility. Apple maintains that its visionOS software platform is not being abandoned, pointing to the visionOS 27 update released in June, and a next-generation headset is reportedly still pencilled in for as late as 2028. Attention appears to be shifting instead towards smart glasses, with Apple said to be targeting an announcement at WWDC 2027, while related work with Samsung Display on a cheaper headset display has reportedly been paused.
Where outlets differ
Bloomberg, the original source, focuses on the internal mechanics of the cuts and includes direct quotes from Apple's statement, framing the changes primarily as a reallocation of resources towards AI and new devices.
The secondary report draws heavily on Bloomberg but adds material Bloomberg's excerpt does not include, such as pricing detail for the Vision Pro, the Samsung Display partnership being paused, and Apple's reported ambitions for smart glasses at WWDC 2027.
The secondary report notes that AppleInsider had already reported an initial, smaller wave of cuts (at least 60 roles across Apple's VR teams) a day before Bloomberg's figure of 200-plus emerged, suggesting the total may have grown or been reported incrementally.
The secondary report characterises the story as 'two different narratives' — Siri being rebuilt for growth versus Vision Pro being scaled back — a framing not explicit in the Bloomberg excerpt, which treats both moves more neutrally as part of the same reorganisation.
Neither source substantiates the headline's reference to a 'Trump ally' joining 'MAGA Inc'; the supplied source material concerns only the Apple layoffs and contains no information on that claim.
More coverage
- Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance — Apple Cuts Jobs in Siri, Vision Pro Immersive Video and Gaming Teams
- Times of India — Apple layoffs hit employees across teams; company confirms job cuts
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