This week, while Apple announced a series of AI strategies at the WWDC Global Developers Conference, it also announced another blockbuster news: Vision Pro, the first hybrid reality device, will be launched in eight countries/regions outside the United States, including Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. Users in China can pre order Vision Pro from 9:00 a.m. on June 14, and officially launch it from June 28.
This is also the first appearance of Vision Pro in the Asian market. The starting price of Vision Pro in Chinese Mainland is 29999 yuan, equivalent to more than 4200 dollars, which is much higher than the starting price of 3499 dollars when the device was first sold in the United States four months ago.
With the opening of pre-sales on Friday, the demand for this device in China has also attracted market attention. Most analysts believe that the high pricing of Vision Pro may deter ordinary consumers, but it may attract some professional users.
Canalys analyst Zhou Lexuan, who focuses on Apple's strategic research, said, "Vision Pro's entry into the international market has exceeded industry expectations and seems to be attempting to drive sales in a situation where demand is lower than expected, as the device is niche and expensive."
Guo Minggui, an analyst at Tianfeng International Securities, stated in a report in April this year that due to sluggish demand, Apple has reduced production of the Vision Pro. The institution predicts that the global shipment of Vision Pro will still maintain 400000-450000 units in 2024.
China is one of Apple's most important markets, and Chinese users have high expectations for Vision Pro, although they may remain cautious in the early stages.
The first financial reporter purchased this Apple Vision Pro device in the United States, which is most attractive for its high-resolution virtual screen and precise eye tracking function. It can replace traditional TV screens without losing clarity.
An Apple fan told a First Financial reporter, "Although the experience of Vision Pro is good, the high price makes me doubt its demand."
Previously, there were people renting and selling Vision Pro on some e-commerce platforms. Earlier this year, the prices of these non official channels of Vision Pro even exceeded Apple's official price by more than twice. However, as the novelty of new devices fades, the prices of these third-party platforms have also fallen.
Canalys intelligent device analyst Liu Jiansen told First Financial reporters, "The pricing of Vision Pro is mainly aimed at enterprise and commercial users. After all, in terms of productivity, training, and user experience, this device has certain value, especially for some companies that want to associate with Apple technology and high-end brands, it can enhance brand image."
Apple released a new version of the VisionOS 2 operating system during the WWDC launch event, which brings new features and AI integration, compatible with over 2000 applications.
However, in China, the ecological construction of Vision Pro may be a major challenge for Apple, especially in dealing with strict regulation of generative AI content.
Liu Jiansen told First Financial reporters, "Apple may adopt different strategies in China, mainly relying on local suppliers to provide content. Attracting developers and suppliers to develop content that meets the requirements for this new platform to create an ecosystem."
Apple said during WWDC that Chinese local developers and Internet companies will launch new applications and games for Vision Pro, including Tencent, a Chinese technology giant, which will provide Tencent videos; ByteDance will also launch the VR version of Tiktok on Vision Pro.
As another heavyweight innovative product of Apple, the Vision Pro has triggered a new revolution in the field of spatial computing since its launch in the United States earlier this year, following the iPhone and Apple Watch. The concept of space computing can be traced back to the 1930s, and many Disney animations originated from space computing technology. Nowadays, humans are able to deeply interact with the content on the screen.
Cook announced the release of Vision Pro devices as the arrival of the era of spatial computing. He said, "Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever, and its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine the way we connect, create, and explore."
However, Vision Pro may face competition from local products in China, such as OPPO. Regarding this, Wu Xiaomao, founder, chairman, and CEO of Granular Technology, previously told First Financial reporters that the R1 chip processor developed by Apple plays a key core role in the computing power of the Vision Pro device terminal. However, for many Chinese hardware manufacturers, their products are difficult to achieve the computing power of Apple, so there is still a certain gap between them and Apple's device. He believes that in China, it is more suitable for the development of AR technology, which means placing a lot of computing power on the edge and cloud, thereby reducing reliance on terminal computing power.
Avi Bar Zeff, co-inventor of Microsoft HoloLens and known as the "father of spatial computing," believes that lightweight smart glasses that can achieve the Vision Pro interactive experience in the future may be born. He believes that this will bring about a real transformation in the industry, and this time point is expected to arrive in about 5 years.