Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple sold around 160,000 to 180,000 Apple Vision Pro during the first pre-order weekend, which is in pair with what the market was expecting from Apple. While the spatial computer sold out pretty quickly, as shipping times for all models extended to 5-7 weeks, the real challenge of keeping the momentum for Apple Vision Pro starts now.
According to Kuo, the instant sold-out and extended shipping times seem positive initially, but there’s a key concern: “Shipping times remained unchanged 48 hours after pre-orders opened. It indicates that demand may quickly taper off after the core fans and heavy users place their orders.”
The analyst compares Apple Vision Pro’s pre-sale with the iPhone’s. He reminds us that popular models usually sell out immediately, and shipping times typically increase to several weeks within hours. However, unlike Vision Pro, iPhone models continue to see an increase in shipping times 24 to 48 hours after pre-orders open, which is not the case with the spatial computer.
While it’s expected that Luxshare will work overtime to meet demand, the manufacturer is still trying to improve production efficiency. Kuo says, “Luxshare has been working full-time overtime since the start of mass production to offset the impact of production efficiency on shipments.”
That said, he expects Apple can meet a shipment volume of 500,000 units for Vision Pro in 2024, although there are a few challenges to keep momentum.
Apple Vision Pro will need time to become a success
The first issue with Apple Vision Pro is all previous rumors that the supply chain is tightened. Sony, responsible for the beautiful display of this product, can only manufacture a few hundred thousand units per year, which means the global expansion will be slow, and Apple won’t be able to keep local demand.
Also, with big players betting against Apple, the company seems to be having a hard time convincing developers that this new platform can be a success. Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube said they won’t offer a Vision Pro app. Hence, they won’t even let customers access an iPad app-like version of their apps on this spatial computer.
Still talking about apps, there are over a few hundred apps that will be truly developed for Apple Vision Pro, but not only the user base is pretty small, but it’s a challenge to create an app that most developers won’t have the chance to use the device. Apple also lacks necessary API support, and not every part of the software can be accessed by third-party apps.
Finally, price is always a barrier. Apple charges a lot for a device that doesn’t have a killer app or killer application just now. With reviews of this device being released sometime this week or the next, this might help (or doom) Apple’s entry into a new market category in years.
WWDC 2024 will also offer a breath of fresh air to Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 2. Still, hardcore fans will need to wait at least until September to get their hands on a stable version of a new software.
Apple Vision Pro is truly a challenge for Apple, and BGR will keep reporting on this spatial computer.
