If you were hoping that Apple’s Vision Pro “spatial computer” would be anything but an extremely niche device, first of all – really? Did you see that price? But, more importantly, Apple itself disagrees.
According to a new report, the company is planning a very slow rollout of the device, with initial sales in select stores in the US. And if you want to buy one, you’ll need to make an appointment.
There will be special areas in the stores with seating, one or two demo units, and tools to size accessories. To determine the right light seal Apple is said to be developing an iPhone app that will scan your head, as well as a physical machine used for the same purpose.
The stores with these special sections will initially be found only in “major areas” like New York and LA, before rolling out nationwide at some later point. Apple doesn’t anticipate offering the Vision Pro to third-party resellers until at least 2025, given how complicated the in-store setup needs to be. Online sales in the US through Apple’s online store will debut in early 2024.
The headset will then make its way to other countries at the end of 2024, and the first two are intended to be the UK and Canada. Then, Asia and Europe will follow “soon after” – but we’re in 2025 now. For what it’s worth, Apple engineers are working on localizations for France, Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea – and that should give you an idea of where it expects to eventually offer it.
The company is already working on a second-generation Pro model, set to debut by 2026, as well as a cheaper non-Pro Vision headset. Earlier this week, it was reported that Apple halved its sales estimates for the first year from 900,000 to less than 400,000, due to the complex manufacturing process involved.
Interestingly, during testing of the Vision Pro, Apple determined that some people with “smaller body sizes and heads” would struggle to wear it for more than about half an hour. A second strap that sits across the top of a user’s head is being developed to alleviate this, but its design hasn’t been finalized yet.
Hilariously enough, the Vision Pro has built-in alerts to deter users from wearing it if they’re walking past a certain speed – this is intended to prevent walking into a wall or an object. Apple has even thought of those that want to use the headset in a plane or car, and there’s a dedicated “Travel Mode” that will disable the aforementioned alerts.
