Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s all-new product category and is due to land in the U.S. next year. We know what it looks like, how much it costs (from $3,499) and some of the things it does. But there’s a lot more that we don’t know.
Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported on a lot more details about this new device. Here’s what he says he has learnt.
The Head Strap
The Vision Pro sits with the display perched on your nose and attaches to the back of the head by a band that is tightened by a neat little dial. When it was shown to journalists and others, Apple used an overhead band as well.
That band is already controversial because it’s been reported that Apple hasn’t decided whether or not to bundle it in the box when it sells the Vision Pro. As a side note, the headset seems well-balanced enough to not need it, but I really hope Apple will include it.
Now, Gurman says that the design of the strap is not finished. The one tried by the press was similar in feel to the Apple Watch Sport Loop, that is, a light material adjusted and held in place by Velcro. He says, “During testing of the device, Apple determined that some people with smaller body sizes and heads would struggle to wear the headset for more than half an hour or so, the amount of time the company let media members test the Vision Pro after its introduction. Apple looked to offset that issue with the recent development of a second strap that sits across the top of a user’s head. The design of that accessory isn’t finalized.”
This is interesting and makes sense. I certainly didn’t feel that the Vision Pro was heavy, and the initial session was a full half hour long, but maybe the second strap helped.
International Release Date
For the U.S., Apple has said the product will go on sale early in 2024. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that Gurman’s detail of sales beyond the States aren’t exactly precise. He says, “Apple said it will offer the headset in other countries at the end of 2024. The company is discussing the UK and Canada as two of its first international markets with Asia and Europe soon after, although a final decision hasn’t been made, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing internal matters. Apple engineers are working to localize the device for France, Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, the people said.”
As a Brit, I’m delighted that the U.K. might be next, but I also hope it’s sooner than the end of next year.
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