The most awaited Apple gadget, the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, is poised to debut on store shelves sooner than initially projected.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TF International has predicted that large-scale shipments of this device will kick off in the first week of January 2024, with the first batch expected to reach stores in late January or early February.
“Vision Pro will most likely hit the store shelves in late January or early February based on the current mass shipment schedule,” said Kuo.
This report by Ming-Chi Kuo lands near the previous analysis by Mark Gurman for Bloomberg, who claimed that Apple may start the selling process by February.
However, Kuo asserts that if this schedule is adhered to, consumers could get their hands on the Apple Vision Pro earlier than the previously communicated February launch date.
Despite Kuo’s conservative estimate of half a million shipments for 2024, he boldly asserts that the Apple Vision Pro will be Apple’s most pivotal product of the year. The analyst remains optimistic that a positive user experience will catalyse increased production, paving the way for a robust mixed-reality future.
Nevertheless, Kuo’s projections differ from previous estimates, notably a report by Jiemian indicating a more conservative shipment of around 400,000 units a launch, reaching a million milestone by the end of 2024.
Apple began training a few retail employees on the intricacies of the premium AR headset. Scheduled to commence in January, these two-day training sessions aim to equip employees with the skills to guide customers in trying out the Apple Vision Pro, ensuring an optimal user experience. Given the price point of $3,499, a positive initial experience could be the linchpin in transforming a potential customer into a real one.
It seems that Apple has already anticipated huge purchases because it decided to implement an appointment system for purchases and restrict the initial launch to US-based customers.
Apple launched the Vision Pro headset at June’s WWDC event, boasting 23 million pixels across two micro-OLED displays. However, not all are pleased with the gadget due to the price point, and there is nothing especially revolutionary about the tech to justify it. This has led to rumours that Apple is already working on a cheaper gadget version, but it will take some time.
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