Apple's Vision Pro, a mixed-reality headset, has arrived in China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. This marks the first time the device is officially available outside of the United States. The launch comes after reports suggested that sales have fallen short of expectations in the US market.
The retail price of Vision Pro in China is roughly 18% higher than in the US, starting at 29,999 yuan or $4,128 compared to $3,500. This has led some customers to suggest that Apple make the device cheaper by about 10,000 yuan or $1,376.
Despite the higher price tag and mixed reviews in the US market, many customers in Asia are eager to try out Vision Pro. Preorders for the device began on June 28 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK ahead of a July 12 launch. Demo experiences for Vision Pro are only available at Apple Retail stores.
The first customers outside the US have been able to buy Vision Pro this morning. Apple has shared photos from Beijing, Tokyo, and Singapore showing demo zones set up for customers to try the device and some taking delivery of it.
Vision Pro is a spatial computing headset that offers features such as a redesigned Photos app with SharePlay support, the ability to turn existing 2D photos into spatial photos, and a larger ultra-wide version of Mac Virtual Display equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side.
Apple announced earlier this month that Vision Pro will be available in eight more countries on July 12: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK. The company has not yet announced pricing for these markets.
Despite the excitement surrounding Vision Pro's launch in Asia, rumors suggest Apple is working on a cheaper version of the headset priced around $1500 to better compete with Meta's VR offerings.
