Gautam Mukunda, Columnist

Apple’s Vision Pro Isn’t the Flop It Seems

November 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM UTC

Gautam Mukunda writes about corporate management and innovation. He teaches leadership at the Yale School of Management and is the author of "Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter."

Images may be less of a flop than they appear.
Photographer: Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images North America

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Apple Inc.’s consumer tech strategy has been close to flawless since it released the iPod in 2001. Or it was — until the Vision Pro. Representing the company’s first foray into augmented reality, the headset is an extraordinary technological achievement. It’s also heavy, has a short battery life and starts at $3,500. Unsurprisingly, sales have been scant, and Apple, after releasing a slightly upgraded model, is backing away from further updates.

Sounds like a flop, right? Well yes, but look past the immediate failure and the Vision Pro saga is a clear sign that Apple — which may have created more revolutionary consumer products than any other company in history — still understands how to make world-changing innovations.