Apple has officially confirmed the pre-order and availability dates of the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. The Apple Vision Pro will be available for pre-order starting this month and will be available for purchase in early February. This is in line with the latest report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is aiming for an early February release for the Vision Pro instead.
The new mixed-reality headset from Apple comes with in-house M2 and R1 chipsets, 12 cameras, five sensors, six mics, an adjustable headband, prescription ZEISS inserts, and more. Let’s take a look at the Apple Vision Pro release date, pricing, and more details.
Apple Vision Pro Availability, Pricing
Apple has announced that the pre-orders for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset will start in the US on January 19. The device will be available in stores in the US and start shipping on February 2. The headset is offered in a single 256GB storage variant with a solo knit band and dual loop band, offering users two options for the perfect fit.
Apple is also offering a light seal, two light seal cushions, an Apple Vision Pro cover for the front of the device, a USB-C cable, a charger, a battery, and a polishing cloth with the device. It will be available in the US first and then gradually expand to other countries in the coming days. There’s no word on whether the Apple Vision Pro will come to India or not.
The Apple Vision Pro is priced at $3,499 which translates to roughly Rs 2,90,000. Apple is also offering ZEISS lenses including ZEISS Optical Inserts — Readers for $99 (~Rs 8,200) and ZEISS Optical Inserts — Prescription for $149 (~Rs 12,500). It will be available at all US Apple Store locations and the US Apple Store online.
Apple Vision Pro Features
The above ad posted by Apple on its official YouTube channel is very similar to the first-ever iPhone ad containing a montage of various movie clips of characters saying hello. It’s clear that Apple is marketing the new product as something as significant as the first iPhone for the brand. Notably, Apple Vision Pro is the first new product category for the brand since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015.
The Apple Vision Pro has a futuristic design featuring two ultra-high-resolution displays with laminated glass and an aluminum frame. It features an adjustable headband with flexible straps, a light seal cushion, and prescription lenses from ZEISS.
The device features an external battery pack that is plugged into the headset. It has a total of 12 cameras, which includes TrueDepth cameras, IR cameras, and a LiDAR Scanner along with five sensors, and a physical button to capture spatial videos or photos, as well as a digital crown.
The Apple Vision Pro is a spatial mixed-reality headset, which means it relies on features like voice commands, gestures, Siri, and the above-mentioned cameras and sensors to offer an immersive usage experience. The headset is designed to integrate the content with the surrounding environment by dimming lights, changing colour, and projecting the same background as the show or movie being watched. There is Spatial Audio support for an immersive and surround sound experience.
Apple Vision Pro lets users move the content and expand it according to their preferences. It means users can either fill up the entire room with the content they are watching or place different apps side by side for multitasking.
Apple emphasises that even though Vision Pro is designed for an immersive experience, it doesn’t cut users off from the surrounding environment. The Vision Pro will alert the user and make their eyes visible with EyeSight when someone is around them.
The Apple Vision Pro comes with the new visionOS and dual chip system including M2 and R1 processors from Apple. While the M2 processor is for performance, the R1 chipset handles input from cameras, sensors, and mic on the device. The headset utilises Optic ID to unlock, make purchases on the App Store, and use Apple Pay.
