this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2024
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Apple hopes to convince people to buy its $3,500 Vision Pro headset using free 25-minute in-store demos::undefined

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 10 months ago (3 children)

It is not meant for the end consumer at this stage, it is a tech demo and development kit.

The real consumer variant will probably be released in a year or two.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It should be marketed as a dev kit, but they're marketing it for consumers

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Well, why not capture some consumers at the same time?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This very article says that Apple is pushing it onto "walk-in" consumers.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

So?

They need to build hype, and if that means they are pushing a demo on walk-ins,then I don't have an issue with it as long as they accept a "No thank you" from the customer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Did they say this or is this your pet theory? I don't feel like that is necessarily the best strategy, since people won't develop for it, when there's no users and no users will appear when no one develops an ecosystem for this thing...

[–] [email protected] 25 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This isn't really a "pet" theory — just economics. VR represents an entirely new product line, and with Apple's expansion into services, a whole new way to value-add to those services and entire ecosystem; capturing more recurring revenue. This price point is based on new manufacturing costs at a much smaller scale than their other product lines.

It's Apple, so it'll never be "cheap", but it can't remain at this price point and stave off competition for long. Within 3 years they'll either drop the price and introduce a pro version, or release an SE version, that'll still probably be around $2000-2500 — but bringing it within reach of the people who'd normally buy "pro" devices.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

This is interesting because you’re correct that this is almost certainly a dev kit that they’re making people pay for.

However: this is very unlike Apple to do if it’s true. We ask ourselves, “What is the enthusiast or middle class user able to afford for good VR?” And as we’ve seen, consumer headsets are aimed at less than $1000.

So the plan is for Apple to put out an amazing headset with the best materials and best screen and eye tracking and all this, only for them to wait some years before releasing a worse version of this that still costs over $1000? I can’t see how Apple would get beneath this price point. And I can’t see how they’d justify themselves.

So your average consumer isn’t using this anytime soon. Did they just make a weird toy line for the rich?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

At best this may help scaling up production of the necessary components (in particular the displays)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

Did they just make a weird toy line for the rich?

Well it is Apple, they sell status more than anything else.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

You have to start somewhere. The iPhone was a game changer so it took of instantly. Something like an AR/VR headset is still pretty niche even today about 10 years after VR really became a thing.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So... I can't buy it? If I can, you're either lying, wrong, or have an agenda.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

So… I can’t buy it?

If you can afford it you can buy it, the purpose of a product does not need to affect availablility.

you’re either lying

Why go straight into calling me a liar? This just shows that you don't want to have a proper discussion.

wrong,

This is quite possible, I have been wrong before, and I will be wrong in the future, it happens, and is not the end of the world unless you realy fuck up.

or have an agenda.

I can't figure out any agenda that I would push regarding the Vision Pro.

In the end, it is a theory, based on resonable data available to me.