Apple Vision Pro starts selling in Asia as crowds rush to demo the headset
The day has finally arrived, Apple Vision Pro is no longer exclusive to the U.S. Apple’s premium MR (Mixed Reality) headset is now available for purchase in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The first sales have already been conducted and Apple stores are full of consumers wanting to demo the device.
Vision Pro was slated for release in these markets today: June 28, 2024. Funnily enough, another XR (Extended Reality) device that has “Vision” in the name was announced today as well: the Solos AirGo Vision smart glasses. Apple’s headset will be released in other countries on July 12. The other regions Vision Pro is coming to are:
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- and the United Kingdom
Consumers wait to demo the Vision Pro in Beijing. | Image credit — Apple
Though modern XR has existed for around a decade now, it’s mostly remained a niche category. Apple’s foray into the XR industry has renewed interest in what this technology is capable of. Around half of Fortune 100 companies bought Vision Pro headsets, presumably to test out its productivity gains.
Our Apple Vision Pro review found it to be one of the best AR headsets ever made. However, until the price tag remains the same as an old car, not many people are going to want to buy one. And it seems the U.S. is where it’s the cheapest, because the Vision Pro’s international pricing is bananas.
Fortunately, Apple’s incursion into the industry has not gone unnoticed by the other big players. Meta has recently released a new Quest update that mimics visionOS, making the UI a lot better. And other XR manufacturers are now focusing on how to make productivity-focused devices. I personally am quite fond of how the Sightful Spacetop G1 is looking.
The Vision Pro is just the first step in Apple’s XR journey. There’s already rumors of a Vision Pro 2, and Apple might even be working on its own AR glasses.
Fortunately, Apple’s incursion into the industry has not gone unnoticed by the other big players. Meta has recently released a new Quest update that mimics visionOS, making the UI a lot better. And other XR manufacturers are now focusing on how to make productivity-focused devices. I personally am quite fond of how the Sightful Spacetop G1 is looking.
The Vision Pro is just the first step in Apple’s XR journey. There’s already rumors of a Vision Pro 2, and Apple might even be working on its own AR glasses.
Things that are NOT allowed: