Apple Vision Pro Mixed Reality Headset Said to Hit Store Shelves by Late January or Early February 2024: Kuo

After announcing its brand-new Vision Pro mixed reality headset, we have yet to hear from Apple about a proper release date. At its announcement that took place during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference 2023 (WWDC 2023) event, Apple showcased the product, announced a launch price of $3,499 but did not seem confident enough to give out a proper release date like many of its other products. Apple simply left us with an ‘early next year', which left a lot of fans wondering whether such a product would actually arrive on time or get delayed.

However, a more recent report had shed light on the topic, revealing that Apple's Vision Pro headset is seeing ramped up production in China. The same report claimed that units would be ready by as soon as January and these would be ready to ship by February. Now, a more recent research note by noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, states that Apple's mixed reality headset would be available for purchase by February.

In his research note, Kuo among other details, mentions that the Vision Pro headset would be Apple's “most important product of 2024”. He goes on to state that Apple is expected to ship as many as 5,00,000 units in 2024. These units are currently in mass production and they will begin mass shipping by the first week of January 2024, as per Kuo.

As for the release date that Apple is yet to confirm or reveal, Kuo estimates that the Vision Pro will reach stores by late January or early February. Indeed, this is a smaller window than the vague one Apple provided. While production seems to be on track, Apple is also said to be training its store employees on how to operate and demo its new Vision Pro headset.

The Apple Vision Pro is said to be available to US customers in the first wave, followed by a wider release in more countries later. Given that it is one of Apple's most expensive devices yet, the ‘spatial computer' basically lets users interact with a virtual UI that is laid over the real world, which is physically in front of them. The device runs visionOS, which can control a user's eyes, hands, and voice and an ultra-high-resolution dual display system. The headset is intended for use not just for entertainment but also for work. When available, the Vision Pro is expected to pack in its own App Store that should hopefully come loaded with plenty of apps for users to try out. The headset can be plugged into a power source or can be used with an external battery pack for a more untethered experience, which is said to power the headset for up to 2 hours.