We’re officially in the “Year of Vision Pro.” Apple’s first headset – or spatial computer as it calls it – is set for a release sometime in the next several months. Read on for the full details and a recap of what we know so far about Vision Pro’s release date.
Spoiler alert: it’s coming sooner than many of us had predicted.
When will Vision Pro be available?
Right off the bat, it’s worth acknowledging the only official timeline we have from Apple about the launch of Vision Pro. At WWDC 2023, Apple said Vision Pro would be available in the United States sometime in “early 2024.”
To this day, that’s the only specific information we’ve gotten from Apple about Vision Pro’s release date. During Apple’s Q4 2023 earnings call in November, CEO Tim Cook reiterated this timeline. “We’re excited to get this magical product in the hands of customers early next year,” Cook said at the time.
“Early 2024” could mean a number of different things in Apple’s eyes, ranging from January all the way to April.
For example, when Apple announced the first Apple Watch in September 2014, the company said it would be available for purchase sometime in “early 2015.” Ultimately, Apple Watch wasn’t released until April 24, 2015. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize the last week of April as “early,” but that’s clearly not something to which Apple is opposed.
What the rumors say about Vision Pro’s release date
The good news is there seems to be a consensus that Vision Pro really is coming in “early” 2024.
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has reported multiple times that Apple is targeting a Vision Pro release date of sometime between January and March. Most recently, Gurman reported that Vision Pro production is moving at full speed inside Apple’s factories in China. “The goal is for customer-bound units to be ready by the end of January, with the retail debut planned for the following month,” Bloomberg reported last month.
Meanwhile, Ming-Chi Kuo largely corroborated Bloomberg’s report in his own analyst note last month.
“Vision Pro is currently in mass production and will begin mass shipments in the first week of January 2024,” Kuo wrote. “Vision Pro will most likely hit the store shelves in late January or early February based on the current mass shipment schedule.”
A far sketchier rumor from Chinese investor website Wall Street Insights this week, spotted by MacRumors, claimed to offer an exact release date for Vision Pro. According to the report, Vision Pro is slated for a launch on Saturday, January 27. This is likely referring to January 26 in the United States. For the time being, we’d treat this one with some skepticism.
There’s plenty of other evidence that suggests Vision Pro is coming soon. iOS 17.2 was released in December and adds support for capturing spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro. iOS 17.2 also includes a new “AirPlay Receiver” feature, which Apple says lets you stream or share content from Apple Vision Pro to your iPhone.
Apple is also inviting retail employees to Cupertino for Vision Pro training. Those employees will then be tasked with going back to their stores and training the rest of their teams. Finally, Apple recently reminded developers to get their apps ready for Vision Pro.
US-only at launch
There is, however, one big caveat: Apple Vision Pro will only be available in the United States when it first launches. As for the rest of the world, Apple says that Vision Pro will launch in “more countries” sometime later this year.
Top comment by Expert (Retired)
So retail employees are starting to go to Cupertino for "Special Product Training" this weekend. (The joke is it's for a second generation cleaning cloth...lol). They seriously never mention VisionPro in anything.
I still think the first week of February.. right after the Super Bowl with a massive 40th Anniversary 1984 Macintosh commercial. Like we always say to customers, "I'll find out the same time you do." They really don't tell employees anything in advance.
Apple will also put a big emphasis on its retail stores with the launch of Vision Pro. The company will strongly encourage customers to buy Vision Pro from a retail store as it stresses the importance of things like sizing and comfort.
Wrap up
Vision Pro is going to be a big story in 2024, regardless of whether it ends up being a successful product for Apple.
I had the chance to try Vision Pro at WWDC 2023 and walked away incredibly impressed – as I detailed in not one but two different write-ups. I’m excited to get my hands (head?) on Vision Pro again sometime in the next several months. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
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