We could get a big Apple Vision Pro launch announcement this week
Cast your mind back to June and you'll remember the Apple Vision Pro was unveiled in a blaze of publicity and hype at Apple's WWDC event – and seven months later it looks like the mixed reality headset is finally going on sale.
According to Mark Gurman op Bloomberg (one of the more reliable Apple tipsters), a full launch is now “imminent”, and stock is now apparently on its way to warehouses, and from there it will be sent to Apple Stores.
Gurman goes on to say that the headset will likely be available in February, and that Apple may make an announcement to that effect this week – partly to distract from all the news coming out of CES 2024.
According to Gurman, select Apple Store representatives will receive training on how to demonstrate and sell the Vision Pro. Training meetings for all store staff are scheduled for January 21.
Retail sales and spatial video
While Apple has told us a lot about the Vision Pro, there are still a lot of questions surrounding it – not least how Apple will set prices internationally. We know the device will start at $3,499 in the US, which is around £2,755 / AU$5,225 with an instant conversion.
Since June we've seen leaks of the software interface we can expect, as well as hints at how the expensive gadget might be installed in stores. Buyers may need to pick up the headset at a physical store, even if they order online, so that it can be properly fitted (and so that users can receive basic training on how to operate it).
In December, Ny Breaking was one of the publications invited to see how spatial video works in the Apple Vision Pro. Support for the 3D video format, which you can capture if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 15 Pro Max, could be one of the mixed reality headset's biggest selling points.
We're really looking forward to getting our hands on (and diving into) the Apple Vision Pro, so stay tuned for our full review. This is an important new product category for Apple – although a second headset is apparently already on the way.