A new report published this morning states that Apple is planning a retail launch of its Vision Pro headset with appointments and in-store promotion in select US markets early next year, underscoring the niche and complex nature of the mixed-reality device.

The company will designate special areas in the stores with seating, headset demo units and tools to size accessories for buyers. While the device will be sold at all of Apple’s roughly 270 US locations, the company is planning the sections for the Vision Pro initially at stores in major areas — such as New York and Los Angeles — before rolling them out nationwide, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

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.

Apple will also sell the Vision Pro through its US web store in early 2024 before expanding online elsewhere. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the rollout.

The headset, unveiled in June, is Apple’s most significant product since the Apple Watch, but the $3,500 price point, unclear use cases, limited mixed-reality content selection and the nascent nature of the technology means it will appeal to a small group of enthusiasts at the outset. To push the category to more consumers, Apple is working on a cheaper model as well as a second-generation Pro version for release by 2026.

The wearable device mixes virtual and augmented reality, meaning it can engross a user in content with high-resolution displays — ideal for video watching — or put applications on top of the wearer’s field of view, letting messages and notifications pop up without overwhelming the person.

Apple will ask in-store buyers to make an appointment to purchase the Vision Pro. That follows a strategy the company used for the Apple Watch in 2015. The driving force behind the idea is to ensure customers walk out with a product that fits properly. If applicable, the company will ask users for their vision prescription for lens inserts via an online portal.

To determine the right light seal — the component that keeps light out of a wearer’s field of view — Apple is developing an iPhone app that will scan a person’s head as well as a physical machine. Online purchasers will similarly be asked to upload their prescription data and use the face scan app to determine accessory sizing.

People familiar with the retail launch say it will be Apple’s most complex debut to date and will require sorting out tricky supply chain logistics, training salespeople how to set up the device and teaching customers how to use it. To that end, the company doesn’t anticipate partnering with third-party resellers to offer the Vision Pro until at least 2025. Most stores will feature only one to two demo units at the outset due to limited supply and the high cost of the devices.

Apple has partnered with Carl Zeiss AG to make the optional prescription lenses for the device, and Apple stores will need to keep in stock hundreds or thousands of lenses. The task becomes more complex in cases where a user may have different prescriptions for each eye."

Patently Apple posted a patent report yesterday describing work on future "Tunable Ophthalmic Lenses" that could do away with having to carry inventory, as the prescription lenses will be adjustable via hardware and visionOS mechanisms.  

Apple has also investigated how the Vision Pro would fit for people wearing cultural apparel, such as a hijab. Aware that some customers may not wear clothes with pockets capable of storing the battery pack, the company has considered asking accessory makers to create shoulder-worn pouches. For more on this, read the full Bloomberg report.