Apple is restructuring its Vision Products Group, a division responsible for Apple Vision Pro and visionOS. The shake-up comes as part of an effort to revamp Siri’s capabilities. Mike Rockwell, the founder of the VPG, is leaving his role and taking visionOS with him under new leadership.
Rockwell will oversee both visionOS and Siri, as CEO Tim Cook has lost confidence in John Giannandrea’s ability to deliver advanced features. Paul Meade, currently head of hardware engineering, will replace Rockwell on the hardware side. The restructuring aims to integrate XR efforts into Apple’s regular structure, potentially impacting future headset developments.
The move comes six months after Dan Riccio’s retirement, which placed the Vision Products Group under John Ternus’ supervision. Rockwell’s departure may bring changes to Apple’s XR strategy and could affect upcoming headsets, including a refreshed Vision Pro with an M5 chipset and a cheaper non-Pro model. Despite these uncertainties, visionOS is set to continue improving over time.
Source: https://www.uploadvr.com/apple-splitting-visionos-team-from-vision-hardware-team-restructure