Apple's upcoming product, the Vision Pro, isn't exactly being marketed as a budget-friendly device. The "spatial computing" headset is a costly investment, setting you back at least $3,499 when it finally releases. However, Apple has plans in store, hoping to finally sell you the future.
Last week, it was announced that you can pre-order the Apple Vision Pro, with the Apple Vision Pro release date set for February 2, at least for customers in the United States. Unlike many headsets in recent years, Apple isn't inventing a product that aims for a top spot on the best VR headsets list, but rather, it's offering a mixed reality experience that Apple defines as "spatial".
Fortunately, Apple recognises that parting with $3,499 of your hard-earned money on a fairly new idea may make it difficult to sell to regular consumers. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports in his recent newsletter that Apple is planning "its most sophisticated sales pitch ever", including lengthy 25-minute demos for early adopters. Unfortunately, it seems like the Apple Vision Pro specs aren't enough of a sales pitch on their own.
The demo apparently starts with a retail worker placing the Vision Pro on a potential customer's face. Similarly to how FaceID works, the Vision Pro will then scan the user, checking to see whether it fits properly, and if the user is wearing glasses, it will scan the lenses for prescription options. After that, the employee will run through the interface, and then take the customer through the full 25 minute demo to test out of all of the exciting features the Vision Pro has in store.
In the same newsletter, Gurman suggests that Apple stores will have two times the inventory space compared to the weekend afterward, with Apple expecting a surge of sales when the device finally releases. We expect that the device's sales will dwindle after launch, with a lack of a killer app or feature, limited battery life, and a lack of use cases in everyday life. Hopefully the potential cheaper Apple Vision Pro model will grab more attention from Apple fans.
However, Apple is certainly onto something good, as a wave of Apple Vision Pro clones are already releasing, some sooner than Apple's headset alone. Although, none of them are as expensive or high quality as the upcoming headset, and while we believe that the Vision Pro isn't going to be as big of a deal as the original iPhone, its certainly a look into an interesting future.