Apple Vision Pro will be available for pre-order at 9pm tonight and will be available on February 2nd. What can you buy for 25,000?

Apple’s official website shows that its first mixed reality (MR) headset, VisionPro, will officially open for pre-order at 5 a.m. Pacific time on January 19 (9 p.m. Beijing time tonight). After the pre-order is completed, this headset will be officially launched in the United States on February 2, local time. It is reported that Apple released Vision Pro on June 6, 2023, Beijing time. The company hasn't released the Vision Pro's full technical specifications since launch, so it can only provide limited details on the configuration options that will be available during the pre-order process.

What is Apple VisionPro?

From a hardware perspective, VisionPro is a VR (virtual reality) headset. It is a head-mounted device that relies on an opaque display to completely replace direct vision and can simulate a virtual environment with an almost complete field of view.

Apple has avoided using the term "VR headset" to describe Vision Pro. The company emphasized that VisionPro is not AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality), but a spatial computing device that seamlessly integrates digital content with the physical world. Users can interact with applications through eyes, movements and sounds.

What are the configurations of Apple VisionPro?

It is reported that VisionPro is equipped with a micro-OLED screen. The two screens have 23 million pixels, which equals more pixels for each eye than a 4K TV. It supports 4K wide color gamut video and HDR rendering, with a total resolution of 8K, and is equipped with the visionOS system.

In terms of core configuration, Apple said that this headset is equipped with two chips, one is the M2 chip, and the other is the R1 chip for eliminating delays, which can handle camera and microphone input.

In terms of storage space, Apple said that Vision Pro’s basic storage space is 256GB, but the company did not disclose whether there will be a large-capacity version. Foreign media said that the company may provide large-capacity versions such as 512GB and 1TB. However, a larger capacity version has not yet been confirmed.

In terms of memory capacity, foreign media said that this headset is equipped with 16GB of RAM, but this may be a fixed memory capacity for all models.

The Vision Pro frame is designed with an aluminum alloy frame and is equipped with a physical button and a digital rotary button similar to Apple Watch, which allows users to switch between augmented reality and virtual reality using the knob located on the side of the headset.

VisionPro only relies on voice, vision and touch control and does not provide hardware control. Controlling the new headset is as simple as moving the cursor with your eyes, clicking with your fingers to select, scrolling with a flick of your wrist, or using your voice.

The headset includes gesture control technology that frees the wearer's hands from the controller, setting it apart from Meta's VR headsets Quest Pro and MetaQuest 3, which include controllers.

As Apple's first device with a built-in 3D camera, Vision Pro can capture 3D images with spatial audio by pressing the headphone button.

VisionPro's headband is made of pure fabric and supports manual adjustment. The whole machine includes 12 cameras, 5 sensors and 6 microphones. It can be plugged in and used all day long. It also supports the use of external batteries. It can last for 2 hours on a single charge, but if it is playing 2D videos, it can last for 2.5 hours.

According to foreign media reports, supporting the use of external batteries is a key difference between Apple Vision Pro and MetaQuest. The battery is connected to the headset through a cable.

Recently, foreign media found in the approval documents that VisionPro does not support Wi-Fi6E, and the frequency bands it supports do not include 6GHz, but only 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which are the conventional Wi-Fi6 frequency bands.

Like all other major Apple platforms, the Vision Pro has its own AppStore, so owners of the headset can purchase and download apps for the device.

It is reported that VisionPro’s AppStore was launched on January 16 this year. It not only provides applications designed to take advantage of VisionPro functions, but also provides iOS applications that can run in 2D mode on VisionPro devices.

On January 8 this year, Apple said that this new AppStore will provide users with more than 1 million compatible iOS and iPadOS applications and new experiences that take advantage of VisionPro’s unique features.

On Tuesday, Apple announced the various streaming, video and sports applications that will be available when VisionPro is released, including Disney+, ESPN, MLB, PGATour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, PlutoTV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, RedBullTV, IMAX, TikTok and MUBI.

For people with myopia, they need glasses to use VisionPro. Zeiss optical lenses (reading glasses) are priced at US$99 and Zeiss optical lenses (prescription lenses) are priced at US$149 and can be magnetically attached to the headset.

How is your evaluation experience of Apple VisionPro?

Before VisionPro was released, Apple invited the media to test it. Early testers praised the headset for its excellent display, video streaming, and accurate gesture recognition.

In early January this year, after some media tried on VisionPro, they said that this headset has an impressive display effect. Wearing VisionPro, you can happily take notes on your mobile phone, which is something that other headsets cannot do. After putting on this headset, your eyes will adjust quickly and automatically, faster than Meta's Quest Pro.

Some media said after trying it on that visionOS relies entirely on eyes, hands and voice for navigation, and the eye and hand control gestures are really impressive.

In addition, some foreign media staff said after using VisionPro that they felt slight fatigue in their necks after using VisionPro for about an hour and a half. Prior to this, foreign media had mentioned in reports that VisionPro weighs about 1 pound (about 453 grams), which has the problem of being slightly heavy. Long-term use will cause neck discomfort.

This week, Apple invited the media to New York for another round of testing of Vision Pro. After the test, the media again gave some evaluation experiences.

Some foreign media staff said that due to the weight of the device, wearing the VisionPro with a standard strap for 20 minutes would "feel pain". After switching to a "DualLoopBand", the weight distribution is better and the wearing is more comfortable.

Some media also said that wearing VisionPro on the head feels like "ruining the hairstyle", and people with long hair may feel that it is tied up at the back.

There is also media feedback that the immersive experience of this headset is excellent, and it feels like you are immersed in the scene, and the virtual scene is lifelike.

When will Apple Vision Pro be released?

When launching Vision Pro, Apple said the device would be available in early 2024. Since then, rumors about the Vision Pro release date have been changing, with initial rumors pointing to March 2024 and later rumors pointing to January 2024. It was not until January 8, 2024, that Apple officially announced on its official website that Vision Pro would be released on February 2, local time, which ended the rumors.

As the pre-order and launch time approaches, Apple's preparations are also progressing in an orderly manner. On Tuesday, the company received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publicly sell VisionPro in the U.S. market.

As previously announced, VisionPro will be available initially in the United States, with expansion to other countries expected later this year.

In June 2023, TrendForce stated that the complexity of VisionPro production and limited production capacity have posed major challenges, resulting in Apple only choosing to prioritize sales in the United States in the first half of 2024. At that time, the agency estimated that shipments of this headset would be only about 200,000 units in 2024.

However, at the end of December 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that VisionPro was in mass production and would be shipped in large quantities from the first week of January 2024. The first batch of products is expected to be on the shelves of Apple retail stores at the end of January or early February. In addition, he also pointed out that this headset will be Apple's most important product in 2024, with shipments in 2024 expected to be 500,000 units.

On January 11, 2024, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that Apple’s Vision Pro will initially have 60,000 to 80,000 units in stock. Since the shipment volume is not large, he believes that it will be sold out soon after it goes on sale.

Is Apple VisionPro expensive?

In terms of price, Apple disclosed that the 256GB version of Vision Pro is priced at US$3,499 (approximately RMB 25,000) in the United States, which is much higher than Meta’s VR headsets QuestPro (priced at US$999.99) and Quest3 (priced at US$500), but about the same as Microsoft’s $3,500 MR headset Hololens 2.

If VisionPro has 512GB and 1TB high-capacity versions, according to Apple's pricing strategy, the 512GB version of VisionPro will be priced at US$3,699, and the 1TB version will be priced at US$3,899.

There are reports that given the historical price differences of Apple products in different regions, Vision Pro is expected to be priced higher in other regions.

Although VisionPro is very expensive, it has the potential to become the first product line to attract the wider public to spatial computing and wearable displays, just like the iPhone is to smartphones, the iPad is to tablets, and the Apple Watch is to smartwatches.

According to the JD.com page, Apple’s new VisionPro product will be available on JD.com International. Reservations will begin at 21:00 on January 19, and rush sales will begin at 23:00 on February 2.

Currently, JD International has not announced the price of VisionPro. For reference, Apple's Vision Pro is priced at US$3,499 in the United States. Tariffs are required for JD.com's international products, and the industry estimates that the final price may be slightly higher than US$3,500.

The storage options and final price of VisionPro will not be announced until pre-orders are officially opened.

Since Apple employees have previously enjoyed certain discounts when purchasing company products, whether Apple employees can also enjoy discounts when purchasing Vision Pro has attracted outside attention.

It is reported that Apple has informed employees in a memo that they can enjoy a 25% discount when purchasing Vision Pro. According to the starting price of US$3,499 announced by Apple, the starting price for Apple employees when purchasing VisionPro will be US$2,624.25 (approximately RMB 18,866.78), which can be purchased for less than RMB 20,000, which can save approximately US$875 (approximately RMB 6,290.81).

In addition to this 25% discount, Apple employees can also enjoy other discounts when purchasing VisionPro. Foreign media have mentioned that the $500 Mac purchase discount that Apple employees receive every three years can also be used to purchase Vision Pro. In addition, Apple plans to reimburse employees with vision correction needs for the cost of Zeiss prescription lenses.

So, is the $3,499 Apple headset worth buying? Regarding this issue, I think the beholder has a different opinion.