The Apple Vision Pro was described as Apple's next big thing. Their 'biggest success alongside the iPhone'. The headset was released in February 2024 and was expected to be a BIG success for Apple. But the device didn't land quite as the company were expecting. With it being a whole year (and one month) since the Vision Pro became available worldwide, let's review the product's performance and see what happened to this 'state-of-the-art' piece of tech.
Related blog: Next-Level Reality: Apple Vision Pro
Is Apple Vision Pro VR or AR?
When the Vision Pro was announced in June 2023, it was described as an AR spatial computer and not a VR device. We then learnt the headset was designed to seamlessly integrate your smartphone into the real world, so our virtual space and real time could mould into one. Use the headset to open and close apps, play media and more such as...
- Watch movies
- Play video games
- Make work calls
- Virtual display
- FaceTime
- Navigate with the Magic Keyboard
- Take and view photos
From initial reactions, Apple fans were excited to test this new headset, and possibly look at pre-ordering it, then Apple revealed the headsets price which led to the downfall of the Vision Pro before it was even released!
Why did the Apple Vision Pro fail?
So why was the price of the Vision Pro such a dealbreaker? First of all, the headset was a whopping £3499! Regarding the features available, fans felt that this was unreasonable to pay and Apple were out of touch with the general audience. The Vision Pro was marketed towards normal working people trying to simplify their day-to-day lives, a headset costing well over 3 thousand isn't justifiable for everyday users. When Apple fans eventually got their hands on the headset, it seemed to be completely aimed towards professionals who are big in the business world or have a lot of tech experience, it feels like Apple had disconnected from their normal audience.
Therefore, all these factors put together led to a very disappointed mainstream media reaction. Especially with other big tech companies like Samsung promising to release their competitive headset piece for a lot cheaper, no one seemed interested in buying this Apple tech. On top of this, there were also general health concerns, with some people worried the device would interfere with our social connections and make individuals isolated in public because it completely removes your senses.
In the end, Apple accepted their failure. We're yet to hear about any budget Vision Pro or second edition, and with the Android XR set to release soon, it seems Apple have no need to rush to get anything out. Reports suggest Apple are scaling back production of their high-profile headset, with the manufacturing ceasing entirely in 2025.
Related blog: What Is The Android XR Headset?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we're still unsure what the future could hold for the Vision Pro. A most recent report coming from Mark Gurman claims that the Apple Vision Pros 2's release has been pushed back to sometime between late 2025 and 2026 which doesn't surprise us. We can't see anything releasing anytime soon, we think a second edition of the headset will be very, very unlikely.
