After a low-key promotional period, Apple may officially launch the highly anticipated Hybrid Reality (MR) headset Vision Pro in a few weeks.
On December 20th local time, according to foreign media reports, in recent weeks, Apple has accelerated the production of Vision Pro at its Chinese factory. Apple's goal is to prepare its customer-oriented business units by January next year, and to make the $3499 headset debut in retail stores in February next year.
As another sign of the upcoming launch of Vision Pro, according to insiders, Apple sent an email to software developers on the 20th inviting them to "prepare" for Vision Pro, test their app with the latest tools, and send these software to Apple for feedback.
Apple wrote in a letter to developers, "There are still more exciting things to come. We can't wait to see what happens next year."
Last week, technology stocks generally rose as the market bet that the Federal Reserve would soon start cutting interest rates. As of the closing of the US stock market on the 13th, Apple's (Nasdaq: Apple) stock price reached a historic high, rising 1.7% at the close to $197.96, with a market value of approximately $3.08 trillion. On the 21st, Apple's stock price closed at $194.83, down 1.07%.
Vision Pro is claimed to be the most important Apple product since the launch of the iPhone, and will open up a new product category for Apple. According to previous reports, the first batch of Vision Pro stocks is around 400000 units, and the sales target for 2024 is 1 million units.
This will be Apple's most complex product launch to date, requiring a new sales strategy and device support. Vision Pro comes with custom components that need to be assembled and packaged at the point of sale. If Vision Pro is not properly installed and adapted to the user's head, the device will not be able to display content correctly, and the user will feel it is particularly heavy, so this will be a process that requires meticulous operation.
Another major pressure Apple is facing with this release is to promote the still novel concept of "mixed reality" to consumers. Mixed Reality (MR) is the fusion of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Currently, Facebook's parent company Meta has taken a leading position in this market, but its head worn devices are also striving to gain acceptance from mainstream consumers. According to data from research firm Circana, as of November 25th this year, sales of VR headsets and AR glasses in the United States have sharply decreased by nearly 40% compared to the same period last year, to $664 million.
Apple plans to leave a good first impression on consumers with Vision Pro by reserving inventory and display space in retail stores, and adding new display devices. In addition, Apple also needs to set up new demonstration areas and places for employees to package their head worn devices with other accessories. In order to prepare each store, each Apple retail store will dispatch at least two employees to the headquarters for training in January next year.
It is understood that Vision Pro is just the first product in Apple's MR headset series, and the company is already developing a device that is more comfortable to wear and lower in cost, which may help promote the concept of MR. In addition to targeting consumers, Apple will also target two key customer groups: enterprise users and schools. Apple is also developing a new generation of head display operating system, visionOS, which is expected to be released later next year.
Compared to the Apple Watch released eight years ago, Vision Pro appears much more low-key. After announcing its launch at the developer conference in July this year, Vision Pro may not have the same follow-up media promotion as the Apple Watch, possibly due to its expensive price of nearly $3500, limited launch in the US market, and complex manufacturing processes.
In September of this year, Wang Laichun, Chairman of Lixun Precision (002475), revealed in an interview with Paper that Lixun Precision has produced three iPhone 15 models for Apple this year, and this business has doubled in the past year. She also revealed an important piece of information that the company is preparing for production of the Apple Vision Pro, which will be launched early next year.