The Apple Vision Pro has now been on sale for almost a month, but only for those who are in the United States. While some people have chosen to import the headset from the US and have it shipped to their own country, most potential Apple Vision Pro buyers are (im)patiently waiting for Apple to make it available for them to buy locally. And some of them might not have to wait too much longer, it seems.
While Apple has not yet said when it will launch its spatial computer globally, previous reports had claimed that there were plans to bring the headset to some new countries before the WWDC event that we expect to take place in June. Now, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reiterated that he believes that to be the case which means that future buyers don't have that much longer to save up the money required to pick one up.
Kuo made the claim as part of a wider post discussing the Apple Vision Pro and how well it has been received by customers when he also shared his estimate as to how many headsets will be built throughout the remainder of the year as well as how many buyers in the United States have already chosen to return their headset during Apple's two-week return period.
Apple Vision Pro — coming soon (again)
Kuo was writing in a larger Medium post when he said that he still backs his previous prediction "that Apple may launch Vision Pro in more countries before WWDC this year." The use of the word "may" is notable hedging, however.
As for which countries could see a launch of the Apple Vision Pro next, Kuo didn't have anything to say on the matter. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had previously suggested that China, the United Kingdom, and Canada could be the first three countries to join the United States in Apple Vision Pro availability.
As for the number of Apple Vision Pros that Apple intends to produce this year, Kuo believes that the figures have changed somewhat. "In the past month, several small-capacity suppliers have expanded production from 500,000–600,000 units to 700,000–800,000 units this year," he says, adding that despite this increase in production the headset "is still a niche product."
Following reports that some people have chosen to return their headsets to Apple, Kuo believes that "the current return rate for Vision Pro is less than 1%, with no anomalies."
The Apple Vision Pro starts at $3.499 for the 256GB model while buyers can choose to pay extra for either the 512GB or 1TB models if they need extra storage. There are also plenty of accessories available including a $199 Travel Case and an additional $199 battery pack. There are third-party accessories available as well, while those who need correction for their eyesight can also choose to buy ZEISS optical inserts. These are vital for some given the fact that glasses cannot be worn with the Apple Vision Pro.
Pricing for a global launch is unknown, as you'd expect, but local taxes and international currency conversion rates will have a big say in how much international customers will pay for Apple's mixed reality headset.
