Apple Store Down in UK, Canada, and Other Countries Ahead of Vision Pro Pre-Orders [Update: It's Back Up]

[mosesvii]

Agreed. I have not seen a single compelling use. Using it as a monitor for your Mac is ok if travelling I suppose, but as a desktop user I will pick multiple 4k monitors over a Vision Pro any day.

I watch a lot of TV and Movies. Often, after my daughter is in bed, ill be watching by myself.
I could spend 10k AUD on a 100” OLED TV, or, after salary sacrificing a Vision Pro, spend 4k AUD.

The media consumption alone makes it an attractive device for me.

 

[Morgenland]

I watch a lot of TV and Movies. Often, after my daughter is in bed, ill be watching by myself.
I could spend 10k AUD on a 100” OLED TV, or, after salary sacrificing a Vision Pro, spend 4k AUD.

The media consumption alone makes it an attractive device for me.

You need to dress warmly here in this forum. Rejection, envy and malice are standard in this topic. Unfortunately.

 

[ginkobiloba]

some of the reactions in the forum are absurd, and just show how completely ignorant they are. VR headsets have been around for a long time, and the Oculus Quest 2 and 3 ( unfortunately bought by Facebook/Meta now) are selling very well. If they weren’t infested by Farcebook’s spyware, i would have bought the Quest 3, as it’s priced very reasonably at 500 euros, even though it’s an inferior technology compared to the Vision Pro.

Apple just “reinvented” ( as they often do,) the VR headset, , they did it extremely well with impressive technology and some very clever UI ideas, but at an absurdly expensive price. If it was at a competitive price, even at double the Quest 3 price, they would be selling boatloads of them.

it’s not a flop because it’s a bad product, but because it’s absurdly priced, even for Apple.

 

[aidler]

It's the cheapest in Canada with a price
equivalent to US$ 3,653.27 and most expensive in the UK with a price equivalent to US$ 4,423.61.

 

[Howard2k]

It's the cheapest in Canada with a price
equivalent to US$ 3,408.41 and most expensive in the UK with a price equivalent to US$ 4,127.11.

Did you factor in taxes and cost of living?

 

[aidler]

Did you factor in taxes and cost of living?

I simply converted the prices mentioned in the article to $US using today's conversation rates.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Did you factor in taxes and cost of living?

Seems most people forget Apple product purchasers in the UK get more failure coverage, thanks to consumer protection laws.

Under consumer laws in the UK, consumers are entitled to a free of charge repair and (depending on the circumstances) may be entitled to a replacement, discount or refund by the seller, of defective goods or goods which do not conform with the contract of sale. For goods purchased in England or Wales, these rights expire six years from delivery of the goods and for goods purchased in Scotland, these rights expire five years from delivery of the goods.

 

[till]

Apple doesn't want to say this explicitly, but the actual real-world use case of the Vision Pro right now is as a dev kit. That's its purpose as a product. It's out there to get developers into Apple's AR/VR ecosystem, so when better, cheaper products eventually come out, the software will be at least partially ready.

It's also a fun toy for rich people, but that's secondary.

 

[theluggage]

I simply converted the prices mentioned in the article to $US using today's conversation rates.

For a valid comparison you first need to subtract the 20% VAT which is included in most published UK prices.

 

[macplow]

Maybe I'm being too critical, but why should I buy a product this year that will be released next year at a reduced price and maybe even improved?

This is so very clearly a beta type of product with a premium price (I mean €4000? That's just insane.) and really only for hardcore fans, a few companies and tech enthusiasts with a very high disposable income. Apart from that, I don't really see a target group.

I understand the frustration with the price. I agree that the device has some serious flaws including weight, isolation, comfort, app quality, and lack of multi-users. But as an owner and regular user, I've got to tell you, there is no piece of consumer technology more advanced than this device. And as a piece of early adopter technology there is nothing comparable. Watching movies, looking at photos, multi-tasking with safari and texts and music is simply unparalleled. And their are many other things it can do that are borderline mind blowing. There's nothing on Earth that provides this type and quality of experience. As for price, everything Apple makes is arguably too expensive, which is why in nearly all their categories, there is a competitor that is cheaper and more popular. Iphone, macbook, homepod, ipad, all of these are 50% 100% more expensive than competitors that outsell Apple's offerings.

It's not for everyone, but if you have the resources and give it a try, I believe there's a fair chance you'll experience the kind of joy and awe that is somewhat unique to new apple devices. (and you can easily return it.)

So yeah, easy to criticize, but if you love technology and getting a glimpse of a possible future that no one else is even close to creating (or just watching media) there is nothing in the history of tech that matches the quality and experience of this vanguard device.

 

[newton4000]

I understand the frustration with the price. I agree that the device has some serious flaws including weight, isolation, comfort, app quality, and lack of multi-users. But as an owner and regular user, I've got to tell you, there is no piece of consumer technology more advanced than this device. And as a piece of early adopter technology there is nothing comparable. Watching movies, looking at photos, multi-tasking with safari and texts and music is simply unparalleled. And their are many other things it can do that are borderline mind blowing. There's nothing on Earth that provides this type and quality of experience. As for price, everything Apple makes is arguably too expensive, which is why in nearly all their categories, there is a competitor that is cheaper and more popular. Iphone, macbook, homepod, ipad, all of these are 50% 100% more expensive than competitors that outsell Apple's offerings.

It's not for everyone, but if you have the resources and give it a try, I believe there's a fair chance you'll experience the kind of joy and awe that is somewhat unique to new apple devices. (and you can easily return it.)

So yeah, easy to criticize, but if you love technology and getting a glimpse of a possible future that no one else is even close to creating (or just watching media) there is nothing in the history of tech that matches the quality and experience of this vanguard device.

Thank you! It’s refreshing to have an actual owner give their perspective.

 

[turbineseaplane]

A steal

The question is....which side of the transaction is doing the stealing?

 

[turbineseaplane]

If it was at a competitive price, even at double the Quest 3 price, they would be selling boatloads of them.

Not with Apple's approach to gaming and gaming devs they wouldn't be

Quests are getting used for gaming almost entirely

Apple is abysmal in that space

 

[doelcm82]

Maybe I'm being too critical, but why should I buy a product this year that will be released next year at a reduced price and maybe even improved?

Unlike others that say the next version will be crippled in some ways, I think you're right that it will be objectively better and less expensive.

But to answer your question, why should you buy now rather than wait a year (or more)? Because you want it now and don't want to wait. You'll get a year or more of use out of it before others get theirs. And you probably won't upgrade then, because it won't be so much better that you think you need to.

That's not to say you SHOULD buy now. But if having is better than not having, you have to decide if the (high) price is worth it.

I see a movie that I'm interested in, but I'll wait until I can see it on a streaming service in a few months rather than spending $15 or more to see it now. But I bought the Vision Pro because I didn't want to wait an unspecified amount of time until the next version. I don't have to have everything now. But this thing I wanted.

This is so very clearly a beta type of product with a premium price (I mean €4000? That's just insane.) and really only for hardcore fans, a few companies and tech enthusiasts with a very high disposable income. Apart from that, I don't really see a target group.

It's beta like the first iPhone or more accurately the first iPad (because it inherits a huge number of compatible apps, though only a few are optimized for it). And incidentally Vision Pro weighs about the same as the first iPad.

 

[coolfactor]

Maybe I'm being too critical, but why should I buy a product this year that will be released next year at a reduced price and maybe even improved?

This is so very clearly a beta type of product with a premium price (I mean €4000? That's just insane.) and really only for hardcore fans, a few companies and tech enthusiasts with a very high disposable income. Apart from that, I don't really see a target group.

This is where there's a disconnect. This is clearly labeled "Pro" for a reason. While it may be available for consumers, the average consumer is not the target market for this first release.

 

[theluggage]

Apple just “reinvented” ( as they often do,) the VR headset, , they did it extremely well with impressive technology and some very clever UI ideas, but at an absurdly expensive price.

I think they're trying to open up a new market for VR/AR as a tool for "serious work" rather than gaming and - just as with the Mac - those "clever UI ideas" are what they're really trying to promote. Having a high price, at least initially when they're aiming at developers and early adopters, might not be a problem as it distinguishes it from products like the Occulus which (rightly or wrongly) are very much seen as "gaming" devices. There would be no point trying to compete with Occulus on price - they're gonna lose - and the Mac platform doesn't really have the FPS-type games to compete with PCs.

Whether that's gonna work is another thing... words like "Lisa", "Newton" and "Homepod" spring to mind. I think they need to get the tech down to the size/weight of something like a pair of wrap-around safety glasses before people are going to wear them for a whole working day, or pop them on to respond to an incoming video call - and that's a long way off (but, then, put an iPhone alongside a Newton...)

What are "serious" people using for VR headsets in fields like professional 3D design and architecture? Is it an untapped market? Are they using "professional" specialist gear that costs $$$$$? Have they embraced "cheap" gaming headsets?

Apple doesn't want to say this explicitly, but the actual real-world use case of the Vision Pro right now is as a dev kit.

Maybe, but in the past they've done that via bundling prototype kit with developer-only programmes with strict rules about publishing reviews, which means they can get away with slightly sketchy products like the lashed-up Intel and ARM Mac development systems. Also, I think developers will need something a little bit more concrete on what the mainstream product is going to look like, before they commit to developing for it.

I'm guessing that Apple are actually making money from selling these (even if it's not paying back the R&D investment - but I'm sure a good accountant will write that off against tax). People vary on how much they are prepared to pay for something silly that they thought might keep them entertained for a short time. How much are Taylor Swift tickets going for these days ?

 

[Aoligei]

I think they're trying to open up a new market for VR/AR as a tool for "serious work"

I don’t know how much of market for VR/AR for serious work. Microsoft’s HoloLens from decade ago did really do much.

 

[Aoligei]

I understand the frustration with the price. I agree that the device has some serious flaws including weight, isolation, comfort, app quality, and lack of multi-users. But as an owner and regular user, I've got to tell you, there is no piece of consumer technology more advanced than this device. And as a piece of early adopter technology there is nothing comparable. Watching movies, looking at photos, multi-tasking with safari and texts and music is simply unparalleled. And their are many other things it can do that are borderline mind blowing. There's nothing on Earth that provides this type and quality of experience. As for price, everything Apple makes is arguably too expensive, which is why in nearly all their categories, there is a competitor that is cheaper and more popular. Iphone, macbook, homepod, ipad, all of these are 50% 100% more expensive than competitors that outsell Apple's offerings.

It's not for everyone, but if you have the resources and give it a try, I believe there's a fair chance you'll experience the kind of joy and awe that is somewhat unique to new apple devices. (and you can easily return it.)

So yeah, easy to criticize, but if you love technology and getting a glimpse of a possible future that no one else is even close to creating (or just watching media) there is nothing in the history of tech that matches the quality and experience of this vanguard device.

I don’t know if it is really that advanced. For lots of demo though, Microsoft has already achieved with their HoloLens.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Not sure the VPro is going to make it. Not at its price point. Maybe the EU will bite!

 

[ginkobiloba]

What are "serious" people using for VR headsets in fields like professional 3D design and architecture? Is it an untapped market? Are they using "professional" specialist gear that costs $$$$$? Have they embraced "cheap" gaming headsets?

3D and Design is a massively untapped market for VR. Adobe released its first 3D modeler app last year with VR specifically in mind ( Adobe Substance modeller ) . I tried it with my Quest 2 , along with another app called Gravity Sketch, and the first time you use it, it’s both game changing and completely useless.
It’s amazing to be able to walk around your model, it changes the way you think about modeling an object. Even more amazing when you switch transparency and see the model floating in your room. And it’s useless because it’s very imprecise and awkward to model with Quest’s controller, and its limited pixel resolution. And that is where the Vision pro kills the Quest and would make it a useful tool.

You would see plenty of known 3D apps like Cinema4D ,Maya , Sketchup etc..releasing a VR compatible version if the Vision Pro was priced less crazy. I’m sure they considering it , but waiting to see how commercially successful it is and how many people own it before investing in developing VR versions.

 

[turbineseaplane]

You would see plenty of known 3D apps like Cinema4D ,Maya , Sketchup etc..releasing a VR compatible version if the Vision Pro was priced less crazy. I’m sure they considering it , but waiting to see how commercially successful it is and how many people own it before investing in developing VR versions.

The 'ol chicken and the egg

Going to be a long wait

 

[Brenster]

In-store demo booked for July 14th. Interested to see how the productivity, photo/video viewing and movie experiences are. Other than trying the old Virtuality sets back in the 1990s in the Trocedeo (awful) and a brief Quest 2 demo in Smyths toys (quick 30 sec with a headset on the counter), I’ve yet to try a modern VR/AR experience. Couldn’t go with Quest on account of Meta+privacy, not to mention the reviews of Horizon Worlds make it seem like a teen hangout & harassment experience. Much prefer the idea of interacting with my own media, productivity & movie library. Time will tell.

 

[subjonas]

really only for hardcore fans, a few companies and tech enthusiasts with a very high disposable income.

I’m none of these—except so so tech enthusiast but I fit the definition less and less as I get older—but I’m very interested in the VP mainly to help me with work. I would have gotten one already but I have to make a couple other big purchases first (ie. not very high disposable income).

 

[Radeon85]

I watch a lot of TV and Movies. Often, after my daughter is in bed, ill be watching by myself.
I could spend 10k AUD on a 100” OLED TV, or, after salary sacrificing a Vision Pro, spend 4k AUD.

The media consumption alone makes it an attractive device for me.

If media consumption is the only main use then the Quest 3 already does that extremely well, whether watching normal movies, 3D films or playing back 3D videos recorded with an iPhone. I use mine to mainly stream my Plex content and it does it great and for a hell of a lot less.

I could afford the AVP but it's certainly not worth the cost to me.

 

[TVreporter]

Hey forum members, since my wife yelled "hell no," I'm accepting donations for a Vision Pro in Canada…