Prospective buyers of Apple’s new mixed reality Vision Pro headset will get a 25-minute tutorial on its features.
The landmark mixed reality headset can be pre-ordered in the US starting January 19, and goes on sale there on February 2. It will cost US$3499 (A$5230).
Apple is expected to broaden sales to other countries including Australia later in the year.
“Vision Pro creates an infinite canvas for apps that scales beyond the boundaries of a traditional display and introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by … a user’s eyes, hands, and voice,” Apple says of the device.
We are yet to see how warmly it is received in the market given its price, concern about a short battery life and whether there are applications that will blow the minds of users – beyond what’s available on rival, cheaper headsets. It is expected an enthusiastic group of early adopters will snap up the device despite the hefty price tag.
Without a killer application, the Vision Pro is a risky venture for Apple. VR/AR headsets (what Apple brands as “spatial computing”) haven’t become a household item in the years that existing brands have been on the market. There is nothing yet to suggest you really need one, as is the case for the much cheaper Meta Quest 3 already in the market. Amazon Australia sells it for A$800 for a model with 128GB of storage.
According to reports, Apple wants to make sure that users are fully across the device’s capabilities before any payment.
Bloomberg reports that prospective customers may have to sit through a lengthy sales pitch, including a 25-minite in-store demonstration on how to use a Vision Pro.
“Few consumers are accustomed to wearing a mixed-reality headset, and Apple’s model requires particular care,” says Bloomberg. “If the device isn’t fitted to someone’s head correctly — or is missing the right lenses — the entire experience could be ruined, potentially costing Apple a $3,499 sale forever.”
The Bloomberg report says the demo begins with a retail worker scanning the user’s face. The scan will tell the employee hosting the demo which light seal, foam cushion and band size the customer will need. The light seal comes in more than 25 shapes and sizes.
“Once the unit is in hand, the employee will explain how the interface works. That includes how to control the pointer using a user’s eyes, how to gesture to make selections and how to hold the headset.”
