Apple Layoffs: MicroLED Display and Self-Driving Car Teams Hit Hard

Apple has reportedly made substantial job cuts, affecting over 600 employees.

The layoffs primarily impacted the teams working on microLED display and self-driving car projects.

According to a WARN note, the employees laid off are primarily from Apple’s offices in Santa Clara, which housed LuxVue Technology’s teams.

Layoff update ??

Apple Inc. plans to terminate 614 employees in Santa Clara, CA on May 27, 2024, according to a WARN notice.

— Revamped | Career & Workplace Development (@RevampedCP) April 4, 2024

LuxVue, a company specializing in micro-LED displays, was acquired by Apple in 2014, to provide low-power, micro-LED-based displays for Apple’s consumer electronics.

This layoff may not be unconnected with the recent cancellation of Project Titan, a self-driving car project that had been in the works for over 10 years. Following the abandonment of Project Titan, Bloomberg reported last month that Apple had scraped the microLED display project it was developing for the Apple Watch due to rising costs.

While Apple has not yet disclosed the full details of the layoffs and its future after this shakeup, reports are making the rounds that the company is turning its eyes to other interests. One of those is the development of home robotics, a technology Apple claims would help users perform home chores.

Major Layoffs in Big Tech

These layoffs are part of a more significant trend in the tech industry, which has seen significant job cuts since the pandemic. Major firms like AWS, IBM, Microsoft, and Meta have implemented job cuts in recent months, signaling ongoing restructuring to navigate the changing tech landscape heavily influenced by AI.

This is Apple’s first significant job cut since the pandemic. The layoffs and project cancellations have raised questions about the company’s future direction and commitment to new technology development.