In something of a surprise, the Apple Vision Pro failed to sellout on launch day despite reportedly very limited availability. The device comes in three capacities starting at $3,500 for the base 256GB model, rising to $3,699 for the 512GB model with the 1TB model topping out at $3,899. While the 256GB variant of the Vision Pro was quickly backordered to March and then beyond on launch day, the initial supplies of the 512GB and 1TB models did not sell out.
YouTuber Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) tweeted that the day after launch that both of the higher capacity Vision Pro units were still available for in-store pick-up. At the time of writing, however, this was no longer the case with in-store pick-up unavailable with all models now showing shipping times slipping to 5-6 weeks. Even with the Vision Pro only available in the US, Apple has been building the hype machine around the device heralding it as ushering in the “era of spatial computing”.
According to highly regarded Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may have only had between 60,000 to 80,000 Vision Pro units available for launch day. Even for a device starting at an eye-watering $3,500 ranging through to $3,899, pundits expected the device to quickly sell out. Competing AR and VR headsets have never enjoyed widespread popularity and it appears that Apple may also struggle to gain traction despite its brand and marketing firepower.
The latest round of pre-launch media reviews pointed to concerns around the weight of the Vision Pro, which has been revealed to weigh as much as a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Apps and other experiences at launch also appear to be underwhelming with Apple itself only developing 15 spatialized stock apps for the device. Third party interest is also low with Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and others revealing they have no plans to create spatialized versions of their apps for the device.
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I have been writing about consumer technology over the past ten years, previously with the former MacNN and Electronista, and now Notebookcheck since 2017. My first computer was an Apple ][c and this sparked a passion for Apple, but also technology in general. In the past decade, I’ve become increasingly platform agnostic and love to get my hands on and explore as much technology as I can get my hand on. Whether it is Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation, each has plenty to offer and has given me great joy exploring them all. I was drawn to writing about tech because I love learning about the latest devices and also sharing whatever insights my experience can bring to the site and its readership.
Michael Johnson is a tech enthusiast with a passion for all things digital. His articles cover the latest technological innovations, from artificial intelligence to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.