Before consumers get the chance to peer into Apple‘s vision of the future on February 2nd with the release of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, they’ll have to go through an involved setup if they want to experience the device in stores. According to Mark Gurman‘s latest newsletter for Bloomberg, Apple retail employees will guide customers through a 25-minute demo that gives a taste of what the nearly $3,500 headset can do.
But first, your face will get far more intimate with Apple technology than ever before. Workers will perform facial scans with iPhones or iPads to determine the proper fit and seal for the Vision Pro’s visor and straps, similar to setting up Face ID. For those needing vision correction, employees will also use specialized devices to scan your existing glasses lenses and identify your prescription information.
With your custom fit and lenses selected from hundreds of spares on hand, employees will walk you through basic functions like adjusting the straps and connectors before placing the surprisingly heavy device on your head. Get ready to crane your neck.
The demos will focus on showcasing the Vision Pro’s key features, including viewing 3D photos and videos, using the headset as a Mac or iPad replacement for productivity, and sampling launch apps from third-party developers. Just don’t expect to wear the device for longer than 30 minutes — even Apple engineers have admitted the initial design can cause discomfort over time.
But Apple retail staff don’t foresee the Vision Pro flying off shelves initially. Gurman reports stores have been told to prepare double the inventory space for headsets compared to subsequent weekends. Supply chain leaks hint Apple will only have 80,000 units available at launch worldwide.
That scarcity could exacerbate the platform’s chicken and egg dilemma — how does a new category take off when people won’t buy headsets without trying them first? And will we ever feel comfortable using AR glasses in public when the Vision Pro looks so alien today?
The Vision Pro may end up catering mainly to Apple’s base of early adopters for now. But eventually, Apple hopes subsequent generations of the headset and rumored AR glasses can reach the technological and price points necessary for mainstream appeal.
With competitors like Meta and smaller startups rapidly iterating on their own headsets and smart glasses, Apple faces an uphill climb to convince regular consumers to strap unfamiliar screens to their faces. But they’ve disrupted established markets countless times before. This lengthy in-store demo may be critical for glimpsing that augmented future Apple envisions just over the horizon.
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