Tianfeng Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reminded investors to pay attention to Apple's Vision Pro launch performance, saying that if the headset cannot be sold out in the first place, its road to success may be longer than expected.
On Monday, Apple confirmed that Apple Vision Pro will be released in the United States on February 2. After the news was announced, Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo told investors to treat the launch and its expectations for success with caution.
Ming-Chi Kuo published an article on Medium earlier on Tuesday saying that Apple did demonstrate the technology well at the press conference, but "missed more important information about product positioning and key applications." "If Apple can provide more information in these areas, it will help maintain sales momentum and attract more developers," he wrote.
Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the success of this headset depends on whether Apple Vision Pro will be sold out after pre-orders open or when it goes on sale, thus extending the shipping time. But if not, "Vision Pro may take longer to succeed, which would be detrimental to the short-term stock performance of Apple and its supply chain."
Ming-Chi Kuo praised VisionPro's specifications and software as "much higher than the industry average" and should win "high praise" from users. Kuo then warned that given that the novelty and demand could fade away, "it depends on whether VisionPro's product positioning and key applications are clear and correct."
It’s unclear why Ming-Chi Kuo holds this view. The Apple Watch was not an astonishing success when it was released, and it took one or two iterations to capture the market. Apple clearly has the wherewithal to wait for a less successful product to come to market, as it has done with Apple TV+ and the re-release of the larger HomePod.