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Apple has recently laid off more than 600 employees in California, signaling the end of its ambitious projects in the automotive and smartwatch display sectors. The company, headquartered in Cupertino, California, filed multiple reports with the state’s California Employment Development Department under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) program, as required by law.
While Bloomberg claims that Apple is laying off over 600 people, 9to5Mac reports that Apple is laying off 700 employees.
Among those affected, at least 87 individuals were employed at a secretive Apple facility dedicated to next-generation screen development, while others were associated with the now-discontinued car project. Apple commenced winding down both initiatives at the end of February, citing uncertainties surrounding the direction of the car project and challenges in engineering, supplier relations, and costs for the display program.
The layoffs primarily impacted Apple’s main car-related office in Santa Clara, California, with approximately 371 employees released, alongside additional layoffs at satellite offices. Some employees from the car project were offered reassignment to other teams within Apple, focusing on areas such as artificial intelligence and personal robotics.
Despite the significant number of layoffs disclosed in the WARN reports, the full extent of the job reductions remains undisclosed due to Apple’s allocation of engineers from both projects to other locations, including Arizona.
The latest WARN report reveals the impact on projects in the news, notably affecting offices like LuxVue Technology, acquired by Apple in 2014 for its expertise in micro-LED displays. Rumors of Apple canceling its plans to develop micro-LED displays for the Apple Watch have circulated recently, with reports attributing the decision to difficulties in producing screens at scale.
Additionally, over 120 layoff notices filed by Apple in San Diego coincided with the closure of a Siri data operations office in January, which was responsible for enhancing Siri’s accuracy. Employees were offered relocation to offices in Austin, Texas.
The cessation of the Apple Car project, internally referred to as Titan, also contributed to the layoffs, affecting offices involved in developing and testing the electric vehicle concept. Despite years of investment, Apple ultimately abandoned the project earlier this year due to persistent challenges.
