Topline
Apple is planning an in-store, appointment-only rollout of its flagship virtual reality headset Vision Pro, Bloomberg reported on Friday, underscoring the complexities behind the company’s most consequential product launch in years as it faces manufacturing difficulties, high costs and a struggling effort to whip up mass-market appeal for what is mostly still a niche product.
The Apple Vision Pro headset will reportedly be sold in Apple stores with a fitting appointment.
Key Facts
Apple will initially require customers to make an in-store appointment to buy the $3,500 Vision Pro so the headset can be fitted properly and customers can be taught how to use it, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The headset is designed to wrap around the head and keep out light and the many variables involved in fitting the mask—including multiple head straps, different sized light seals and optional prescription lenses—necessitate the individualized approach, Bloomberg reported.
Apple will sell the device at all of its U.S. stores, though the company will reportedly begin the rollout in larger areas like New York and Los Angeles early next year.
Bloomberg reports that most stores will only have one or two demo devices due to limited supply and high cost of headsets.
The Vision Pro will also go on sale online in its U.S. web store at some point in early 2024, Bloomberg reported, and the complexities of its sale mean the company does not expect to partner with third-party resellers until at least 2025.
Apple did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
News Peg
The Vision Pro is Apple’s much anticipated foray into virtual reality and its launch could be as important to the company as its other major products like the iPhone. It is billed as a mixed reality headset that blends the virtual and real world—one can switch between full virtual reality and “augmented” reality mixing virtual and real elements—and has been a poorly kept secret that has been years in the making. Investors hope it will fire up interest in the sector, which has been around for years but struggled to take off in a major way. Its high price tag puts it at the upper end of the market—it is working on a cheaper model—which analysts expect will limit initial demand to loyal Apple fans and wealthier customers. The headset’s design and high costs of the technology it uses have reportedly forced Apple to lower its ambitions for the device’s rollout to manage manufacturing difficulties. The issues have reportedly pushed the company to drop its 2024 production goal from more than 1 million units to fewer than 400,000.
What To Watch For
Apple will push Vision Pro into other markets toward the end of 2024, according to Bloomberg. The U.K. and Canada are reportedly leading candidates for the first sales outside of the U.S., though this has not been settled, with other markets in Asia and Europe to follow shortly after. Engineers are reportedly working to make the device suitable for users in locations like Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, France, Germany and Australia.
Further Reading
Apple’s headset headache: the tiny and costly displays inside the Vision Pro (Financial Times)
Apple Plans a Slow, Appointment-Only Rollout of Its $3,500 Vision Pro (Bloomberg)
Apple Reportedly Expects To Sell Fewer Than 400,000 Vision Pro Headsets Next Year Due To Production Snags (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/07/07/apples-3500-vision-pro-headset-reportedly-needs-in-store-fitting-to-buy/