We've been hearing for some time that the Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 mixed reality headset, was likely to launch in early 2024. And now we have a timescale. A new report says that Apple is aiming for a February launch date and that production "is running at full speed".
The report comes from Bloomberg [paywall], whose sources are our old friends "people with knowledge of the matter". And according to those people with knowledge of the matter, Apple's plan is to have customer-bound units ready to go at the end of January for their retail debut in February 2024.
That timescale has been given extra credibility by Apple itself: this week it sent "Get Ready" emails to software developers telling them to get ready for lift-off by testing their apps and sending them to Apple. That's something Apple typically does a month or so before a big iOS, macOS or iPadOS update so it suggests that the Vision Pro is nearly ready.
Will you be able to get your hands and head on a Vision Pro?
The launch is going to be US-only to begin with, and February is a goal rather than a definite for now: there could still be some last-minute issues that mean it won't be ready in time, and the complexity of this launch increases the likelihood of that happening.
This is a much more difficult project than, say, launching the iPhone 15: Vision Pro requires specialist fitting and customisation, and if that isn't done properly the headset may feel overly heavy and the display may not show everything to the wearer. That customisation requires dedicated areas, staff and training that other Apple products don't require.
We have no indication of when Apple intends to launch Vision Pro in the UK, not least because it's a complex product: according to Bloomberg, if the device does attract buyers "Apple may find itself in a position where it can't make enough units for several months". That's great for marketing – the VR equivalent of those must-have Christmas toys that have parents punching one another in the aisles – but it's not so great for international availability.
