We kick things off with some news on the Vision Pro supply chain front. While things can certainly change between now and the Vision Pro launch next year, we are getting a better view of what appears to be a challenge manufacturing Vision Pro at scale: OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) displays. The discussion then goes over Neil’s thoughts on Vision Pro manufacturing and assembly in China. We conclude with the latest installment of Thursday Q&A in which Neil answers the following questions from Above Avalon members:

What’s motivating Apple’s deal strategy with live sports?
Do you agree that it has become increasingly challenging to estimate installed base totals for key Apple product categories? Will Apple change its approach? Is the lack of disclosure related to antitrust issues?
Did Apple change its commentary regarding installed base figures in the last earnings call?

Apple Considering Supplier Shift for Vision Pro Displays

Here’s The Information:

“When Apple dealt with Chinese manufacturers in the past, it was to buy low-level components such as small metal parts, paper boxes and batteries. For advanced parts such as displays and chips, the iPhone maker turned to firms headquartered in the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Times are changing.

Apple is currently testing advanced displays made by two Chinese suppliers for possible inclusion in future models of its Vision Pro mixed-reality headsets, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The two suppliers, BOE Technology and SeeYa Technology, are among a crop of Chinese companies that are making high-end technologies, spurred by government policies designed to reduce China’s reliance on foreign tech while also making its homegrown firms more competitive.”

The Information’s article suffers from what has unfortunately become a norm in the Apple news sphere: narrative-based writing. A piece of reporting is wrapped in an opinion-based narrative. In this case, the new reporting is BOE Technology and SeeYa Technology working with Apple on a possible future supplier arrangement with Vision Pro in mind. The story used to wrap the reporting in is that Apple is benefiting from Chinese policies put in place to hurt the U.S. It’s quite the stretch. We will talk more about China shortly.

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