The Apple Vision Pro may be the biggest new hardware to hit store shelves this year, but don’t expect it to be easy to get your hands on one. And not just because the $3,499 starting price of the headset is out of reach for some shoppers.
Instead, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the Vision Pro will “sell out soon after release.” Kuo, who's tapped into Apple's supply chain, is basing his forecast on the belief that Apple has produced a small number of headsets — between 60,000 and 80,000, he noted in a post at the former Twitter website X.
In other words, a limited supply of Vision Pros may be enough to overcome the device's $3,499 price.
Apple will produce 60,000 to 80,000 units of Vision Pro for the February 2 release. Since the shipment is not large, I believe that Vision Pro will sell out soon after the release. Although Apple has not clearly defined the product positioning and key applications of Vision Pro… https://t.co/miktcS0aSKJanuary 11, 2024
"Although Apple has not clearly defined the product positioning and key applications of Vision Pro and the price is not cheap, the user experience (e.g., giving users the illusion that they can control the user interface with their minds) created by the groundbreaking technology innovations, along with the base of core fans and heavy users, should make it easy to sell out after the release," Kuo wrote.
If that forecast is accurate, anyone mulling over an Apple Vision Pro is going to have a decision to make. While the headset goes on sale February 2, pre-orders begin in a week — Apple will start taking orders at at 8 a.m. ET on January 19. With reportedly limited supplies, shoppers will have to decide pretty quickly if the Vision Pro is right for them.
Apple unveiled the Vision Pro headset at last year’s WWDC. The device supports spatial video and gaming technology to create a unique and decidedly impressive visual experience. Apple’s headset will allow you to stream movies, play video games, browse the Web, engage with business applications, and more, all from within the headset’s two OLEDs. You can also just the Vision Pro’s settings to decide whether you want the content you’re interacting with to overlay on your real world or to immerse yourself completely in a virtual environment.
Apple has been somewhat tight-lipped on key Vision Pro features, including the RAM and storage options available for the headset. We do know the base model will have 256GB of onboard storage, and it's widely though that you'll be able to add up to 1TB of storage if you're willing to pay more. Apple’s software development applications suggest the headset features 16GB of RAM.
The Vision Pro will only be available in the U.S. initially — perhaps another reason Apple kept supplies low. Availability in other countries will follow, though Apple hasn't provided any details about when and where.
