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Secret plans to expand the headset line-up
Apple’s Vision Pro headset is almost ready for launch, and more and more A details are starting to emerge as we get closer to lift off. It’s an exciting time to take a look at Apple’s most significant new product category in close to a decade.
For one thing, we’re now getting a clearer picture of the Vision Pro’s expected release date, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicting that US customers could get their hands on the device as soon as the end of January. Gurman caveats though by saying that while you’ll be able to order the device online, you’ll need to make an appointment at a physical Apple Store to collect it. That’s chiefly due to the fact that each headset will need to be customised to every individual buyer’s needs: “It’s a highstakes endeavour,” Gurman says. “The Vision Pro’s set-up process is going to be complex and not something Apple wants to screw up,” with in-store staff receiving rigorous training to orchestrate “how [they] approach a customer and how they place the device on a user’s head.”
While a January launch looks likely, such is the complexity of the Vision Pro’s design is such that Apple has had to make “drastic cuts” to its production forecasts, with the company expecting to manufacture fewer than 400,000 units in 2024. And it won’t even be available in the UK until the end of the year.
What has already launched, though, is Apple’s Spatial Video recording feature for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Released in iOS 17.2, this enables you to record videos ready for viewing on the Vision Pro. The videos won’t look any different when viewed on your iPhone, though, so you’ll need to wear a Vision Pro to get the full 3D effect.
Four models
We’ve also learned a bit more about the second-generation Vision Pro, including multiple models that are said to be part of the line-up. Codenamed Project Alaska, the second-gen model bears a “striking resemblance to the first-generation Vision Pro,” with the same “curved aesthetic and butt
