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Apple Vision Pro will almost certainly be an enthusiast product reserved for early adopters when it launches next month with a $3,500 price tag. But Apple has a trick up its sleeve: a 25-minute personalized demo for customers interested in the mixed-reality headset. Apple’s pitch comes via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says that actual demo units for Vision Pro will be limited. While there will be non-functional units on display, there will only be up to 12 demo units of Vision Pro available.
The 25-minute demo is a first for Apple, which needs to coax consumers into buying into its mixed-reality headset. Gurman says that this demo process is why Apple flew out retail employees to its Cupertino headquarters earlier this month. Apple executives trained the select retail employees through the demo process. The idea is that these employees will then relay the information to the rest of the workers at their home store. In another shift from the norm, retail employees will try Vision Pro before it launches.
The fitment process for Apple Vision Pro
Before the demo starts, Apple employees will personalize a Vision Pro headset for a specific customer. They will scan the customer’s face with an app to get the right fit. It’s a similar process to how Face ID scans will work when customers order Vision Pro online. Then, the face scan will let the employee know which light seal, foam cushion, and band size is needed, per Gurman. The light sale reportedly comes in 25 sizes and the cushions come in two sizes.
After that, the next step is getting prescription lenses, if necessary. Gurman reports that stores will have a device that scans a customer’s glasses to get prescription information. This would be a truly cool part of the process, as customers won’t have to show up with an official prescription. Stores will carry hundreds of lens inserts for different prescriptions.
How the Apple Vision Pro demo works
Gurman has managed to leak the entire 25-minute demo for Apple Vision Pro. Here is the full breakdown, from his Power On newsletter in Bloomberg:
Users will be directed to the photos app to view still images that are similar to the ones preloaded on Apple’s other devices in retail stores. That’s followed by examples of panorama shots. Then the demo starts to get more interesting. The customer sees 3D images that Apple calls spatial photos (in this case, of a kid hitting a piñata) and spatial video (footage of a birthday party).
The next part of the demo shows how to use the device as a computer or iPad replacement. It explains how to position multiple app windows in space and scroll through webpages in the Safari browser. Customers are then shown 3D and immersive movies, including clips of wild animals, the ocean, and sports. There is also a compelling scene that makes users feel as if they’re on a tightrope.
Aside from early adopters and enthusiasts, average consumers will need some prodding before they bite the $3,500 Vision Pro bullet. Apple seems to have a plan, but only time will tell whether consumers buy in. We’re also curious to see how much demand there is for these demos since Apple can presumably do a maximum of 12 per half-hour. There isn’t much time to wait, as Vision Pro goes on sale starting Feb. 2.