Apple is aiming to launch its Vision Pro headset “by February,” according to new information from reliable Apple tipster Mark Gurman.
The tech giant unveiled the $3,499 mixed-reality headset to great fanfare in June, and said at the time that it would launch first in the U.S. in “early 2024.”
Since then, multiple reports suggested the Vision Pro headset would land in Apple Stores in March, but in a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday that cited people with knowledge of the matter, Gurman said the company is now “ramping up production … setting the stage for a launch by February.”
The report said the manufacturing of Apple’s most significant new product in years has been running “at full speed at facilities in China” for the last few weeks, with a retail launch set to be ready in just over a month from now.
“The company sent an email to software developers on Wednesday encouraging them to ‘get ready’ for the Vision Pro by testing their apps with the latest tools and sending their software to Apple for feedback,” Gurman said, adding that “it’s another sign of an approaching release.”
Earlier this month, the Bloomberg reporter revealed that Apple was in the final stages of arranging seminars at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, for training several members from each Apple Store on how to present and demonstrate the Vision Pro headset to potential customers. For store assistants, this is certainly the fiddliest product that Apple has ever brought to market, with staff having to work with potential customers to find the right headband and light seal for a comfortable and effective experience, while also considering the need for prescription lenses.
Although it seems clearer than ever that Apple is pushing for an imminent launch, the report cautioned that “last-minute production hiccups or other snags could, of course, push back the planned timeline.”
While Apple is resting a lot on the success of the Vision Pro, its high price — more than double that of a maxed-out iPhone 15 Pro Max — will be prohibitive for many. With that in mind, Apple is also thought to be preparing a more affordable version of the Vision Pro that comes with fewer features, but enough to still make it a compelling product.
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