The Apple Vision Pro headset is available to pre-order now ahead of its full release on February 2. And while demand isn't as intense as Apple's other devices, some people obviously aren't put off by the $3,500 asking price for the spatial computing headset; the device sold out over the weekend.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has likely sold somewhere between 160,000 and 180,000 headsets over the entire pre-order weekend. That's considerably above an earlier prediction of between 60,000 and 80,000 units.
All models of the Vision Pro (the $3,499 256GB model, the $3,699 512GB model and the $3,899 1TB model) are now on backorder with shipments expected from March 4 through to March 11.
However, while that seems like nothing but good news for Apple, Kuo explains that demand may drop off significantly after early adopters are satisfied. In contrast to iPhone orders, which "see a steady increase in shipping times to 24 to 48 hours after pre-orders open," the Vision Pro shipping times remain unchanged 48 hours after the orders opened.
Casting further ahead, Kuo believes achieving a shipping volume of 500,000 units for Vision Pro will "not be challenging" for Apple.
"However, because demand tapers off quickly after the initial sold-out, it’s critical to closely monitor demand in other markets and application updates to assess changes in demand," he added.
Vision Pro首週末預購檢視：符合預期但隱憂浮現 / Vision Pro’s first-weekend pre-order review: expectations in line, but concerns raisedhttps://t.co/y6eSCalCp2January 22, 2024
While the Vision Pro is clearly the next big bet for Apple, it's still very much a niche product. Kuo points out Apple's user base sits at over 1.2 billion active users, so 500,000 headsets is nothing compared with iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.
Of course, the Vision Pro is still a first generation device and we've already heard of a few teething issues. Reportedly, the device's virtual keyboard needs work and the costs involved get even more eye-watering when you consider reparability. But then again, when Tom's Guide tried out Vision Pro for ourselves, we found using the device was "chock-full of 'wow' moments".
The Vision Pro will only be available in the U.S. initially. Availability in other countries will follow, though Apple hasn't provided any details about when and where.
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