Apple’s mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, is now available in more countries outside the U.S. as of Friday.
TakeAway Points:
- Apple now offers the Vision Pro in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, following its launch in Asian markets.
- Apple reduces their sales projection for the 2024 Vision Pro to 400,000–450,000 units, despite the initial excitement. This is because of dwindling demand.
- Early reviews were mixed; issues with sustained sales include the exorbitant cost and dearth of customised apps and content.
Vision Pro Global spread
Customers in Australia can purchase the headset, and it will also be available in Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K. This follows its debut in Asian markets, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, on June 28. At Apple’s Regent Street store in London, customers have booked slots for demos of the Vision Pro. Unlike established hardware like iPhones, which are typically pre-ordered online, the Vision Pro’s in-store demos aim to justify its $3,499 price tag to potential buyers.
Bryan Ma, vice president of International Data Corporation (IDC), noted the excitement surrounding the Vision Pro, describing it as “a relatively new product category that is far from mainstream.”
“It is also a product coming from Apple, whose implementation is far ahead of the competition,” He added.
However, Ma highlighted the challenge of sustaining initial excitement and converting it into sustainable sales, given the high price and evolving ecosystem of applications and use cases.
Market Position and Sales Forecast
In the first quarter, Meta maintained its top position in the mixed/virtual reality headset market, while Apple’s recent entry propelled it to the No. 2 spot, according to an IDC report published on June 18. ByteDance, Xreal, and HTC were also in the top five.
“Both Meta’s Quest 3 and the Vision Pro helped educate users and entice developers to create mixed reality content, blending the digital and physical worlds,” said IDC.
However, IDC also noted that this has come at a premium for users due to the high price points.
Apple has reportedly trimmed its Vision Pro sales expectations to around 400,000 to 450,000 units in 2024, down from an earlier forecast of 700,000 to 800,000 units, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst at TF International Securities. Kuo attributed the lower shipment forecast to declining demand.
“We’re expecting Apple to ship about 400,000 units this year, almost half of which will be outside of the U.S. That compares to a total market of 7.3 million units. This can ramp up more quickly if we start to see hardware prices come down and utility from the applications increase,” Bryan Ma from IDC commented.
Early Reception and Challenges
The Vision Pro has yet to sell 100,000 units in a quarter since its U.S. launch in February, and it faces a 75% drop in domestic sales in the current quarter, according to IDC. The international launch at the end of June is expected to offset some of the weakness in the U.S. A more affordable edition, estimated to cost roughly half as much, is anticipated to rekindle interest in 2025, but sales may not rise meaningfully over the coming year, IDC said.
“The Vision Pro’s success, regardless of its price, will ultimately depend on the available content,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at IDC.
“As Apple expands the product to international markets, it’s crucial that local content is also made available.”
The early response to Apple’s headset has been mixed. While many reviewers and early adopters have praised its advanced technology, some of Apple’s biggest fans are now returning the device. Issues such as its weight and the lack of tailored apps and video content are among the chief reasons for the returns. The Vision Pro made no tangible improvement to Apple’s quarterly earnings after its debut.
