We know the Apple Vision Pro will be available to buy soon, but we don't know when exactly that's going to happen – though a new tip from a well-placed source suggests we've not got all that much longer to wait.
Well-respected Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac) suggests that the headset is going to be available to consumers in "late January or early February" of 2024, matching up with Apple's own announcement that it would be available "early next year".
You're going to have to set aside $3,499 for the Apple Vision Pro – which works out as £2,756 or AU$5,140 with a straight currency conversion, although Apple is unlikely to set international prices based on the current exchange rates.
Kuo, who is usually a reliable source of Apple information, goes on to say that the Vision Pro is "the most important product" for Apple in 2024 (something we've already emphasized), and that shipments in the next 12 months are expected to hit 500,000 units.
In-store sales
Pretty much every Apple journalist and analyst in the industry has had a go at predicting when the mixed reality headset will be available to buy. Most recently, Bloomberg suggested that late January is indeed when devices will start shipping to consumers.
Besides getting the hardware ready, Apple also wants to see a variety of developers launching apps for the Vision Pro right from the start. That will of course encourage more people to part with the necessary cash for the gadget.
We have seen how spatial video will look on the headset – that's video recorded with 3D elements embedded into it – and it has a real chance of becoming the 'killer app' for the Vision Pro, the main reason why the majority of consumers go ahead and pick one up.
Other leaks have suggested just how Apple is going to sell this expensive piece of hardware in its own stores – and the rumor is that you might have to actually visit a store in order to get your hands on one of the Vision Pro headsets.
