Apple has ramped up production of the upcoming Vision Pro and is reportedly planning to launch the $3500 mixed-reality headset in February.
According to a new story from Mark Gurman on Bloomberg, Apple’s suppliers and contract manufacturers are now building the headset “at full speed” and have been for several weeks. First orders should arrive at people’s doorsteps by the end of February, with the retail debut planned for the following month.
This isn’t the first time Gurman said the Vision Pro would launch in March. This time around, however, he found new pieces of evidence to support his thesis.
Vision Pro could launch in retail stores in February
Apple recently invited retail employees to participate in a “product training event” that should educate them on how to present and sell the device in stores.
In an effort to quickly get stores up to speed, Apple is sending at least two staffers from each of its retail outlets to its headquarters next month for training. The two-day sessions begin the first week of January and will happen in waves over the course of several days. Those employees will then manage sales of the device at their stores and teach peers how to market the product.
This is going to be a highly controlled launch, even by Apple’s standards
Retail employees will be taught how the Vision Pro functions and which features to highlight in conversations with potential buyers. They’ll learn how to attach the headband, optional prescription lenses and the light seal, which keeps outside light from hurting the experience.
Selling the Vision Pro to early adopters and explaining its features to curious buyers sounds like the best job currently in the tech retail sector.
But they’ll also need to learn new types of etiquette, such as how to place a device on a person’s head and fit cushions around the face while keeping the customer comfortable.
There’s going to be an app for that.
Apple is planning an app for its devices that can scan customers’ heads in order to determine which band and light seal they should use. But retail employees will need to confirm that the app’s recommendations are right during the sale.
Read Gurman’s Power On newsletter from October for additional information about this secretive event for retail employees.
Get ready for the Vision Pro
Apple also recently contacted its developers to seek last-minute Vision Pro feedback ahead of launch via an email titled “Get Ready.” The final piece of the puzzle is visionOS itself. The latest update to the Vision Pro’s operating system has squished many bugs to the point where it appears ready for prime time.
In aggregate, all those sources and leads suggest that the Vision Pro will arrive in “early 2024,” as initially promised. That being said, however, the jury is still out on whether that means a launch in January, February or March.