We’ve already had plenty of CES 2024 announcements, though this year’s edition officially kicks off on Tuesday. As with previous CES editions, Apple isn’t part of the show. Apple never makes product announcements at large trade shows like CES. But we always get plenty of rumors around such events. And this year, Apple might give us the Vision Pro release date announcement we’ve been waiting for.
While looking at Vision Pro launch rumors in the past few months, I speculated as much. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has similar thoughts, and he laid out the most recent details about Apple’s imminent Vision Pro launch
“I expect Apple to make an announcement related to the Vision Pro in the next week or so to take some of the spotlight away from CES, which begins Tuesday in Las Vegas,” Gurman said in the Power On newsletter.
He added that Vision Pro is shipping in small quantities to warehouses in the US in preparation for distribution to Apple retail stores. Apple reportedly thinks it’ll have enough supply by the end of January to launch the gadget in February.
A sketchy report a few days ago said the Vision Pro’s release date might be January 27th.
Gurman also reiterated that Apple plans to sell the Vision Pro in retail stores. You might be able to reserve the spatial computer online, but you’ll have to complete your purchase in a retail store. You’ll get a face scan for the best possible fit. Components like the light seal and the band should be customized to your head.
Apple is already training retail store staff to sell the Vision Pro. Two to four employees from Apple stores in the US are flying to Cupertino for these training sessions. They’ll then return home to train their colleagues on how to sell the device.
Gurman says Apple stores will hold a rare, three-hour meeting for all employees on January 21st. These meetings might serve as the local training procedures. Then, retail stores will receive new inventory racks and backroom equipment in anticipation of the launch.
The only way to buy the Vision Pro will be to visit a retail store, at least initially. Gurman speculates that Apple could release the face scan app to buyers in the future so they can purchase the spatial computer from home. But it’s unclear when that will happen.
The international rollout
Finally, Gurman also had an interesting tidbit about international markets. He says other countries will receive the Vision Pro sooner than later. As you may know, other reports said the Vision Pro could hit global markets later in 2024.
As an international buyer myself, I wondered whether I could get the spatial computer this year or in early 2025. In the case of the latter, I already started wondering whether I should wait for a second-gen device instead.
Gurman now says that China, Canada, and the UK are some of the first markets Apple is considering for the international rollout. Still, we don’t have release dates for these markets. I’d be surprised if Apple announces international rollout dates soon. But the sooner the US release date announcement comes, the better for international Vision Pro fans like me.
With CES almost underway, it’s probably a matter of time until Apple makes its Vision Pro announcement. I’ll also speculate that Apple might want to delay it slightly so it overlaps with the Galaxy S24 announcement next week. The Galaxy S24 is not a Vision Pro rival, but it’ll put pressure on the iPhone thanks to its Galaxy AI smarts.
