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We are just a few weeks away from the launch of Apple’s next big hardware product. The Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset will officially go on sale in the US on February 2, with pre-orders starting in just a few days on January 19.
While you can just buy the Vision Pro on Apple’s website, it’s likely many potential buyers will want to try out the headset before they decide to buy the admittedly expensive $3,499 device. Noted Apple leaker Mark Gurman from Bloomberg stated today that Apple Store employees will offer customers a demo of the Vision Pro that he says will take 20 to 25 minutes.
Apple has already trained hundreds of store employees on how to run the Vision Pro demo, according to Gurman. On February 2, starting at 8 am, Apple Stores in the US will begin signups for those in-store demos. There will reportedly be 12 demo units at each store. All Apple Store employees will be able to try out the Vision Pro days before launch, which Gurman says has not been done before with other big hardware launches.
Even before the actual demo, people who sign up will have to have the Vision Pro fitted for them. Gurman says this will be handled by an app that will scan their face. They will then pick out the specific band, foam cushion, and light seal needed to fit the headset around their head. People who wear glasses will have them scanned for prescription information, and the store will reportedly have hundreds of different lenses for the presentation.
Gurman then says the potential Vision Pro customers will be shown how to use its interface and also to calibrate the device to the customer’s eyes and hands. Only after all that will the actual Vision Pro product demo will begin, according to Gurman.
The Vision Pro demo will include using the photos app, viewing 3D images and videos, and more interestingly how to use the headset as a possible replacement for their computer or iPad. Gurman says that part of the demo will show customers “how to position multiple app windows in space and scroll through webpages in the Safari browser.”
One of the big questions about the Vision Pro is how many units will actually be sold. Gurman says that Apple expects an initial flood of sales from early adopters. During the first weekend, Apple Stores will reportedly be asked to use twice as much inventory space for the device compared to what will be needed after that time period.
