Apple said it would begin selling its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset in the United States on February 2, as the company seeks to capture a part of the industry dominated by Meta Platforms with its most expensive gamble in more than a decade.
The headgear costs $3,499 and is the company’s largest product launch since the original iPhone went on sale in 2007.
Pre-orders will begin at 5 a.m. Pacific Time (1300 GMT) on January 19, the business announced on Monday.
Analysts have praised the device, which was unveiled in June last year, for its impressive technology, which includes an exterior display that shows the user’s eyes to people in the outside world, as well as a new chip that Apple claims will process sensor data faster than the blink of an eye.
The device allows users to browse the web, talk, and even view films in a resolution higher than that of a 4K TV.
However, the Vision Pro must be connected to a power source at all times. Due to its high price, early adoption is projected to be limited to wealthy individuals and tech enthusiasts.
Analysts and investors anticipate that the product will not generate significant revenue and will sell in tiny quantities.
The headset will compete in a market filled with products that have yet to achieve popularity among customers. It will also place Apple in direct rivalry with Meta, following years of disagreements over concerns such as user privacy and developer platform control.
Vision Pro is more than three times the price of the most expensive headset in Meta’s mixed and virtual reality lineup. The Facebook parent’s top-of-the-line Quest Pro mixed reality device, which combines virtual reality and real-world video feeds, has around two hours of battery life without an extra power pack.
