The Vision Pro is the most exciting Apple product of the year if you ask me. I can’t wait to get my hands on the spatial computer and see if I can turn it into a gadget I can use on a regular basis. But, unlike other Vision Pro enthusiasts, I have a problem. I’ll have to wait longer than most BGR readers for the Vision Pro launch. That’s because Apple hasn’t announced release timeframes for international markets. What’s worse is that current estimates imply Europe might not get the Vision Pro at all in 2024.
The Vision Pro doesn’t have a release date in the US either, but I’ve seen improved estimates in the past few weeks. It started with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said that Apple might start selling the spatial computer in February. Apple suppliers have reportedly been assembling the mixed reality device for a few weeks now.
Another well-known insider now offers a similarly optimistic outlook about the Vision Pro launch. Apple might start mass shipments in the first week of January, which means an in-store launch should happen soon after that.
We’ve known for a while that buying the Vision Pro will be more like getting the first-gen Apple Watch. Gurman detailed the process in recent reports. You might be able to order the Vision Pro online, but you’ll need to go for a proper fitting in a store nearby. Meanwhile, Apple is training Apple Store staff to sell the Vision Pro, and that includes getting users a custom fit.
As much as I hate to admit it, that’s probably the best way to buy a Vision Pro. Given everything that we know about the device, I think it’s important to try it in an Apple Store and ensure it’s comfortable. It must fit your face so that you can actually use it for several hours at a time without fatigue. Moreover, there’s also the matter of accommodating prescription lenses for the device.
This process involves a lengthy purchase experience, from the moment you buy the device to your actual fitting appointment. This would delay international sales. Gurman said in previous reports that Apple plans to bring the Vision Pro to the UK and Canada towards the end of 2024. This would probably put a European launch sometime in late 2024 or even 2025.
That’s all speculation, however, as we don’t have anything official from Apple. But we might soon get official updates on the matter, especially if Apple intends to start shipping the Vision Pro in the coming days.
In a wide-ranging post on Medium, Kuo said that the Vision Pro is the most important product for Apple in 2024.
“If user feedback on Vision Pro is better than expected, it will help strengthen the market consensus that ‘Vision Pro is the next star product in consumer electronics’ and the related supply chain stock price,” Kuo wrote.
It’s in this context that Kuo offered his estimates for the imminent US Vision Pro launch:
Shipments in 2024 are estimated to be approximately 500,000 units. Vision Pro is currently in mass production and will begin mass shipments in the first week of January 2024. Vision Pro will most likely hit the store shelves in late January or early February based on the current mass shipment schedule.
It might not sound like a lot, but this is a better estimate than Gurman. Let’s also not forget that “early 2024” could mean anytime before June. If Kuo’s information is accurate, we won’t have to wait that long. Vision Pro preorders might start sooner than we expected.
Finally, I’ll also point out one more thing: CES 2024 is coming, where some Apple rivals will unveil new products. More importantly, according to leaks, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 launch event is set for January 17th.
A Vision Pro launch announcement timed for mid-January would make plenty of sense. The Vision Pro would be on everyone’s minds, rather than non-Apple products.
