Vision Pro to Launch “Sometime Around March”, Potentially Alongside OLED iPad Pro as Company Prepares Developers

 

Apple's Vision Pro announcement gave us a glimpse at what could be the future of mobile computing. The headset was unveiled at the company's WWDC 2023 event, with an estimated launch rumored to be around the beginning of next year. It was previously presumed that the Vision Pro would launch in January, but it appears the company has a lot of work before making it available to the general public.
Apple to launch Vision Pro in March, potentially alongside new OLED iPad Pro models
While the company has distribution plans to test the Vision Pro, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg states in his latest Power On newsletter that the headset will launch "sometime around March." Initially, the headset will be launched in the United States, and gradually, it will be expanded to additional regions later next year.
Apple officially stated that the Vision Pro would go on sale early next year but failed to give an exact release date. Once the headset is available, it will be sold by appointment in the Apple retail store. You can also access the device through Apple's online stores. The company does not plan to offer the Vision Pro headset through third-party sellers as it wants to make the rollout experience smooth for the end user.

For various reasons, it would be a hassle for third-party sellers to sell the Vision Pro. For instance, the Apple Store can offer tailored bands and prescription lenses for the wearable through appointments. Third-party sellers would have to stock up on different variants of the headbands and lenses to provide users. Hoarding hundreds of SKUs for the seller will take up space and could impose a hefty storage cost.
Apple is currently testing visionOS with developers, and it plans to fix all the bugs and issues for a smooth launch. The iPhone 15 Pro launched with overheating issues, and the company does not want to go through the same scenario. Apple has also halted its work on iOS 18, watchOS 11, and macOS 15 to fix its existing updates. Potentially, Apple also took a break from the software mentioned above to fix bugs and issues in visionOS.

The latest visionOS beta houses onboarding videos and materials for users, which Apple prepares in the end, hinting that the company plans to launch the Vision Pro headset in January. iOS 17.2 beta also houses some companion assets for the Vision Pro, such as AirPlay Receiver and support for recording Spatial Videos on the iPhone 15 Pro.

We suspect Apple could host its Spring event sometime around March to launch the Vision Pro headset. Apple also plans to launch the new OLED iPad Pro models during the same time frame. The company could offer additional demonstrations of Vision Pro features, which were not previously ready at the WWDC announcement. The headset will be available at a hefty $3,499 price tag.