Apple’s Vision Pro headset is being released later than was originally anticipated. The device is Apple’s first foray into Virtual Reality, where users can use applications while wearing an immersive headset.
The device is certainly a gamble for Apple, since competitors’ products are not very well received. Meta’s own devices have had a hard time selling, which could also be the case for Apple. Forbes reports:
Apple announced its latest product, the Apple Vision Pro, back in June. As well as the price, $3,499, the company revealed the release date as early next year. Now, it seems it may not be as early as Apple had intended.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, the intention at one time had been to release the mixed-reality headset in January 2024—and you couldn’t get any earlier in the year than that, obviously. It now seems that the company is expecting to release Vision Pro “some time around March”. Well, that still counts as early in the year, to be fair.
Because Apple makes both the hardware and the software, it had better control over the product rollout. However, this usually means a more methodical release that can take longer than competitors. 9 to 5 Mac continues:
Regarding the release timing, it certainly seems that the software teams were aiming to be ready for a January debut, as Gurman suggests. The latest visionOS beta includes product onboarding videos and materials; these kind of assets are generally prepared near the end of the software development cycle. The current iOS 17.2 beta also includes Vision Pro companion features like AirPlay Receiver and the ability to take spatial videos on iPhone 15 Pro models.
With a March launch on tap, just like the rollout of the Apple Watch, expect Apple to hold another media event in the spring ahead of the product’s release. This will give Apple another opportunity to present the $3499+ headset to customers and show off some apps and features that were not quite ready for demonstration at the June WWDC unveiling.
The headset will likely not be a huge money maker the way Apple’s phone and computers events have been. If successful however, it could launch an entirely new line of products that other companies will feel the need to compete with.
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