According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, customers who purchase the Vision Pro will likely be asked to go to an Apple store to purchase the device. In October of this year, Gurman reported that Apple was inviting retail employees from various Apple stores in the United States to Cupertino, California, to receive training on using and selling VisionPro headsets.
Apple sent a memo to its retail store employees asking them to apply for the "mysterious" event, with acceptance subject to the application and interview process. Excerpts from the memo are as follows:
Selected team members will travel to Cupertino, California for an event sometime in the first few months of 2024. Upon returning to their home store, they will provide training and ongoing support to store team members. This is a collective opportunity for those who are passionate about showcasing Apple products and teaching others.
Gurman said in the latest edition of the "PowerOn" newsletter that the workshops are currently being scheduled and employee training will begin in mid-January. Each Apple Store employee who participates in the training will receive two days of training, which will include the process of setting up VisionPro, how to approach customers and how to put the device on the user's head. Gurman previously said that flagship retail stores will receive dedicated VisionPro operating areas, while other retail stores will only receive one or two devices.
"While customers can reserve VisionPro online, more and more people believe they should make an appointment to pick up the device at a retail store," Gurman noted. Apple plans to assemble customers' Vision Pro headsets in-store, with the appropriate headband, optical seal and optional prescription lenses. Retail stores will reportedly receive new equipment to assemble and package the headsets in the near future.
Gurman still believes the device will likely be released before March. Apple has only said that the Vision Pro headset will launch "early" in 2024.