Apple quickly ran through its launch-day inventory of Vision Pro headsets Friday, but customers continued to place preorders for units to be delivered later. The weekend total could have reached 180,000 units, according to a report from a trusted analyst.
Wait times for the device to be delivered now stretch out to March, but questions remain about long-term demand.
Vision Pro sold well so far, but …
Friday morning ushered in Apple’s era of spatial computing with the launch of Vision Pro, the company’s first augmented-reality headset. Vision Pro displays apps in a 3D array seemingly floating in front of the user — a feat the device accomplishes with an array of cutting-edge technology.
Apple sold out of its initial supply of inventory available for shipping in about an hour. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, said that amounts to between 60,000 to 80,000 units, all of which will go to customers on February 2.
But the company continued to take orders. “I estimated that Apple sold 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro units during the first pre-order weekend,” said Kuo on Monday. As a side note, that means revenue from the product totals about $600 million at this point.
But the analyst isn’t confident that there’s truly long-term demand for a $3,500 AR headset, even one made by Apple.
“The instant sold-out and extended shipping times seem positive at first, but a key concern emerged: shipping times remained unchanged 48 hours after pre-orders opened. It indicates that demand may quickly taper off after the core fans and heavy users place their orders,” said Kuo.
Preorder yours now
Preorders placed quickly enough on Friday should reach customers on February 2. Vision Pro also will arrive in stores that day, though inventory is likely to be limited. The company almost always reserves some prelaunch inventory of its new products for its brick-and-mortar stores — possibly so news organizations can show images of people lining up to buy them.
But place a Vision Pro delivery order on Monday morning from Apple.com and the headset will arrive between March 4 and March 11. That’s true for any configuration of the device, from the one with 256GB of storage capacity to the one with 1TB.
The base price is $3,499, though boosting storage and purchasing accessories can quickly drive up the price. Just note that the product is currently available only in the United States.
