Apple Vision Pro Pre-Orders Sell Out Fast, Pushing Delivery Dates to March
Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset sees massive day-one demand, with online delivery estimates already slipping to mid-March. The tech giant also introduces unique head-scanning requirements for online buyers to ensure a custom fit.
Apple officially opens pre-orders for its highly anticipated Vision Pro mixed reality headset, and day-one demand immediately outpaces initial supply. While the company originally plans to begin deliveries on February 2, online orders quickly push estimated delivery dates back to early or mid-March depending on the chosen storage capacity. Physical stores across the U.S. also report selling out of their allocated inventory within minutes of the pre-order window opening.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo notes that Apple only prepares between 60,000 and 80,000 units for this initial launch batch, leading to speculation about whether the shortage stems from low stock or overwhelming demand. Some industry watchers suggest Apple intentionally limits the initial release to maintain a sense of exclusivity or to reserve units for in-store demonstration experiences. This controlled rollout may also serve as a strategy to entice major app developers, such as Netflix and Spotify, to eventually build dedicated Vision Pro applications.
The purchasing process for the Vision Pro differs significantly from buying a standard Apple device, as online customers must use an iPhone to perform a 3D scan of their head and face. This scanning procedure ensures the headset fits the buyer perfectly, but it also means the device is essentially custom-tailored to a single user and is difficult to share comfortably with family members. Buyers also have the option to add prescription Zeiss lenses for an additional cost and select from various head strap sizes to complete their personalized setup.