Apple’s new $3,500 VR headset, Vision Pro, just became available for pre-order. But based on early estimates, this high-tech gadget isn’t exactly flying off shelves.
Analyst Min-Chi Kuo crunched the numbers on inventory and shipping times. His verdict? Apple probably sold between 160,000-180,000 units this past launch weekend. Not too shabby considering Apple’s initial production target was just 60,000-80,000 heading into the February 2nd release.
So why isn’t Kuo popping champagne? Though Vision Pro sold out straight away, shipping times barely budged those first 48 hours. For a hot new iPhone, wait times usually climb as hype builds post-launch. The steady delivery forecast suggests demand fell off quickly after the early adopter rush.
And that makes sense when you consider Vision Pro’s niche target demo—namely, developers and Apple die-hards. Between the astronomic $3,500 starting price and lack of popular apps, this thing definitely isn’t mainstream…yet. Of course, Apple may attract more users down the road by debuting a cheaper $1500-$2500 model.
Even if Vision Pro sells out, we’re still only talking 0.007% of Apple’s 1.2 billion customers. Cupertino clearly has work ahead positioning their mixed reality play beyond a novelty for tech elites.
The true test comes before Apple’s June developer conference. They’ll aim for a wider global rollout, complete with hyped-up marketing. We’ll also likely see slick in-store demos as Apple courts their next wave of early adopters.
Sure, 180,000 units is a blazing start out the gate. But for a company of Apple’s size, Vision Pro remains a small fish in a big pond, at least for now. The key will be driving curiosity and visibility ahead of the broader launch this summer. Only then will we know if their big VR bet can transition from nerd candy to mass market magnet.
