Apple kicked off Vision Pro preorders on Friday, ahead of the spatial computer’s February 2nd release date. In theory, this gave you a two-week window to buy the Vision Pro and secure a February 2nd delivery.
In practice, we all knew the Vision Pro stock that Apple allocated to online sales would disappear quickly — and that’s exactly what happened. February 2 shipments sold out almost instantly, while in-store pickups are taking a bit longer to go. The 256GB Vision Pro was the first to sell out, and it took about 50 minutes before release-day in-store inventory was depleted in some areas. The more expensive models were still available for in-store pickup at the time of this writing.
Currently, the earliest available home delivery option is March 1st for all three Vision Pro storage options. That’s the soonest you’ll get your hands on Apple’s new spatial computer if you order one right now and have it shipped.
Now that the Vision Pro is selling out online, you have two options left if you want one. The first involves heading to the nearest Apple retail store on February 2nd and hoping they have enough release day stock for you to get one. You’ll be able to get a proper fitting and walk out with a Vision Pro if you’re lucky. The good news is that you’re in charge of your luck — all you have to do is preorder the device with in-store pickup and hope the system gets you a February 2nd appointment in your area.
The second option is the one you’ve been dreading if you really want to get a Vision Pro. You’ll have to wait several weeks and order a Vision Pro once they’re back in stock online.
This obviously isn’t the first time a new Apple device has sold out soon after preorders open. It usually happens with new iPhones, and the iPhone 15 Pros are the latest example. But you can buy new iPhones from third-party retailers and carriers when preorders start. Also, Apple makes millions of iPhones in time for the first week, and production runs at full speed after that.
The Vision Pro is different. It’s a first-generation device with plenty of sophisticated hardware. Manufacturing is more complex, and Apple can’t have millions of units ready for launch even with production running at full capacity.
Recent estimates said Apple would have up to 80,000 Vision Pro units ready for launch. Others say Vision Pro sales are expected to be around 400,000 units globally in the first year.
That’s why the Vision Pro is only available directly from Apple, and only in the US. And why it might take longer for Apple to reach other markets.
The sky-high starting price also makes the Vision Pro a prohibitive buy. The base price is $3,499. You’ll have to pay more for it if you want prescription lenses, more storage, and other accessories.
The Vision Pro sold out despite the sky-high price, as early adopters and Apple fans have rushed to get their preorders in. They will have two weeks to change their mind after receiving and testing the gadget. Come to think of it, that might be another way to score a Vision Pro after February 2nd: Hope that people in your area return the spatial computer.
Delivery dates started slipping almost immediately after preorders started, offering buyers February 6th estimates. We’ve been able to verify that you could still get an appointment for in-store pickup for February 2nd. Delivery dates then slipped to March 1st in some areas, and in-store pickups have begun to sell out.
Your mileage might vary depending on your region. However, it looks like Apple is running out of stock quite fast.
I’d have put my preorder in as soon as possible if the gadget were available in Europe. That’s not the case, however, so I’ll have to wait for Apple to start sales in the region later this year. If the most recent reports are accurate, it might happen sooner than I thought, maybe before WWDC 2024.
