Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

[Osxguy]

My two cents it’s the wrong time for. The shift is less screen time and more family/friends time. Maybe during the start of the pandemic this would have been perfect but the cultural shift has been less silicon and more nature. I don’t want to see my friends and family through a screen. Some on here have been pretty correct in their advertising scheme. Using tech bro YouTubers or and god I hate this word “influencers” really killed it. The kid with the Tesla cyber truck and wearing the glasses was a mistake.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Let's be honest, in all these years, neither Apple fans nor "analysts" have managed to give the reason why you should buy a headset at the high price.

2,000 including tax, then it would be interesting as a TV replacement. But not for 3,600 (plus tax!)

And that's only if you live alone. And that's only if you would be a $2,000 TV. Mine would be significantly less LOL. And I would have to buy 4 headsets. Or one $800 TV...not really a contest.

 

[doelcm82]

100% predictable.
Unlike the smartphone, which literally changed our life and was hyper-convenient to use, the vision pro doesn't add enough useful functionality to justify it's bulk, invoncenience and price.

And I haven't even touched the creepy addiction-inducing aspects.

Say what?

Wouldn't addiction-inducing aspects lead to MORE engagement?

 

[akfgpuppet]

Time to get it out to other countries and keep the ball rolling

 

[gentleman00]

Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage.

Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports a marked decline in the demand for retail demos and sales, based on the Apple Stores he has spoken to:
The trend that Apple Vision Pro appears to be following is less likely to be a retail anomaly, and more indicative of a broader issue that has plagued VR technology from its inception: Maintaining user engagement after the initial novelty wears off.

Gurman offers his personal experience of Apple's headset as a microcosm of what he suspects is a wider user trend. His own usage has decreased from daily interactions to just once or twice a week. A significant barrier to more frequent use, he says, is a setup that involves attaching batteries, booting up, and navigating a complex interface, which makes traditional devices like laptops and smartphones more appealing for regular tasks.

Gurman also blames the Vision Pro's lack of a "killer app" and compelling content for further diminishing the headset's appeal. He notes that it feels better suited to solitary activities – say, on a long flight or while working from home – rather than for use in social situations or around co-workers.

It seems Apple still has a considerable task ahead in evolving the Vision Pro into a device that redefines everyday technology use. In the meantime, several bugs that initially plagued visionOS have been resolved, although many of Apple's own apps are still not optimized for the device's operating system.

In the last visionOS update, Apple added Spatial Personas, which make it feel like you are in the same virtual room as another Vision Pro user. Spatial Personas can be used for watching movies and TV shows together, FaceTime and other video calls, using apps like Freeform, playing games, and more. However, the feature needs other Vision Pro owners to appreciate it, and as Gurman notes, they are still few and far between.

Apple is expected to produce fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2024 due to the complexity of manufacturing, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, Apple is said to be already working on a new version of the Apple Vision Pro for 2025 that will be priced more affordably. Meanwhile, the first incarnation of the headset is expected to arrive in additional countries later this year.

Article Link: Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

It’s a great tool if you are flying jet fighter, but not so much for the average consumer.

 

[bodhisattva]

Still hopeful this will come around where others have failed. Not thinking this will revolutionize the industry, but hope the right market appreciates it and it grows into something we can all love one day.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Because, like 3D TVs, it's pointless.

 

[Rogifan]

I’m curious how much time Vision Pro gets at WWDC compared to AI (or whatever Apple chooses to call it).

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

There is no single activity on the Vision Pro or any AR/VR headset that inspires a user to feel they simply cannot accomplish something without their headset. It’s not like a pair of glasses for those with poor eyesight or a wrist watch for telling time or a “smart phone” for a million things we used to use other less versatile devices to accomplish.

Without that feeling of “I just can’t imagine working on this one thing or navigating something or other without my Vision Pro” and without a sub 1K price or amazing and easy to access financing option there’s just no way this or any similar product will take off.

Exactly.

Like with everything Apple has put out in the last 1-2 years, I feel like Vision Pro would have offered a much better experience if Apple had padded out the hardware's limitations using some high-level AI for eye, hand, and head-tracking, speech recognition and controlling the UI.

On that note, I'm almost 100% sure Apple will not launch this 1st gen. AVP in more regions and instead focus on the next model, dropping post iPhones 16 or 17, that gets M4/M5 and tons of AI to assist the wearer when navigating the UI, typing, using hand-gestures, etc.

Like, I can't help thinking that iPhones 16, despite the much less advanced hardware and much lower price, will offer far more value/$ with all the upcoming AI improvements than the $3499 AVP that will probably never get any.

 

[spinedoc77]

Too heavy/uncomfortable/socially isolating and way too expensive. I realize this was supposed to be the "dev round," where devs would pick these up, but like the chicken/egg debate will devs be willing to sacrifice time and effort into a paradigm which may fail? Without mass market support I would think that many small devs would be afraid to utilize their time and resources. Apple, IMO, is going to have to save this paradigm with their own killer app(s).

I still personally feel that this was a HUGE miss for Apple when they should have just released a really good set of lightweight AR glasses. Certainly there are AR glasses with VR capabilities which are much more svelte like the Visors which actually check off most of the VPs checklist.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I’ve been considering the potential of VR/AR/XR for about 30 years now. For a company with Apples resources and a unit with a $3500 tag, I had pretty high expectations that they’d have a really ambitious vision and product to suit. Instead they made a high quality version of the bare minimum of what I’d expect a headset to do. It feels like a lot more like a technology preview device for devs, so they can start working in the product category and grow with Apple & their hardware when they start to actually make some big strides toward its future potential. Or it’s a half-baked product that’ll just go away like so many others.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I’m curious how much time Vision Pro gets at WWDC compared to AI (or whatever Apple chooses to call it).

Can't be 2024 as Apple wants all eyes on iPhones 16 and iOS 18. And then M4 after that in late 2024 or early 2025.

iPhone is Apple's bread and butter (by far). And AVP is, for now, just a small side-hustle.

 

[VisceralRealist]

But this was supposed to be Tim's "iPhone moment"

 

[rymc02]

I was skeptical as well of the long term success of this thing until there was some sort of killer app that would draw in a lot more paying customers. But it's a 1st generation item. As technology gets better and cheaper I can see this catching on eventually.

It has to be a more social and immersive experience. Like having friends from your area and/or from all over the world attend concerts/sporting events/plays like you're actually there in person and enjoying it together.

One thing I've learned is that at times I am sometimes skeptical about a new Apple device like this, in the long run it's hard to bet against Apple's success. From the iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch, etc., they have a pretty good track record of delivering products that people want.

I get a kick out this point: "It has to be a more social and immersive experience. Like having friends from your area and/or from all over the world attend concerts/sporting events/plays like you're actually there in person..."

You think this stuff will be free or cheap? How much do you think they will charge for front row VR tickets to Taylor Swift? In the future you will still be buying VR tickets for obstructed bleacher seats bc that's all most will be able to afford. 😂

 

[Steve121178]

I am surprised Apple did not "book" some famous people to get it hyped more upon release. It seems like they only focused on Tech YouTubers but they needed people like Kim Kardashian to casually wear it in one of her "snaps"

It might work with a new item of makeup or a $100 product she's trying to push to youths but it won't work with a $3500 bit of junk that no one really wants or needs. $3500 is not an impulse purchase!

 

[msackey]

Others have noted and I also agree. The price point is way too high for most consumers. $3500 is not a justifiable purchase when that money could got towards more immediately needed technologies such as a laptop and mobile phone.

 

[FineWoven]

You mean the $4,000 pair of ski goggles with a handful of uses is losing interest already? I'm shocked 🫢

 

[koolzero]

Putting a headset on is such a burden, the thing looks well designed, but based on user experiences it's heavy and uncomfortable, it also appears to be pretty delicate (typical apple?), also anecdotal eye issues. Personally I get motion sick using PS VR, so I do not know if I would have a fun experience with this and the price is outside my comfort zone. IMO it doesn't seem to offer anything more than what my Mac Studio can, for about half the cost. I'm not a fan of Meta but their headset looks worthy of the money, it may not look as cool but it appears to do a lot of cool stuff and at a much lower price.

 

[LiquidJay]

I am surprised Apple did not "book" some famous people to get it hyped more upon release. It seems like they only focused on Tech YouTubers but they needed people like Kim Kardashian to casually wear it in one of her "snaps" or have the Taylor Swift concert exclusively stream on TV+ in an "immersing" Vision Pro (Taylor Version) experience (it does not mean I agree but that is how things sell nowadays). On the other hand you may argue that it is simply too expensive but I am sure there are some people that would have gone into debt for Taylor haha (again, not saying I agree)

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I have a Quest 3 and I used to use it a lot in the beginning and I still enjoy it when I actually get to it but there is this subconscious aversion in my body that is like "don't put it on your face, it is uncomfortable" and it is already too much work to put it on. Can't just grab it and go like a phone its hard to explain haha

oh and also, I know this step is needed to make it fit correctly (which in itself already does not speak for the device) but it is kind of a "hard break" in the online purchase funnel to actually get to buy it. I am sure many people already drop off here like "ugh too much of a hassle" or "what if it does not fit?" "click X on browser".

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100% correct .... until these puppies go on like glasses .... this is the result. Sad but true. This comes down to HUMAN understanding not engineering. Surprised Apple missed this one.

 

[victorvictoria]

Too expensive for the majority of people in the world. Not many folks are well-off enough to spend upwards of $5,000 (with tax, lens inserts and AppleCare) for entertainment hardware. Especially given that all the productivity applications are available on MacOS and iOS devices.

If Apple wants to succeed in this space, a total reimagining of what the VisionPro is, who the target base is, why they aren't buying it, how to get them to buy it. Everyone's talking about the lack of a "killer app," but I don't think such any single piece of software is going to boost VP sales to profitability.

If someone wants to try one out without breaking the bank, he should let someone else pay the initial depreciation. Wait another year or two, buy one on eBay for half price, and if he doesn't like it, sell it to someone else.

 

[Ender275]

I had a feeling the Vision Pro would fail. Microsoft had their HoloLens, thought about bringing it to consumers and then decided to focus on industrial use instead. They have $21.88 billion contract with the military to continue to improve and produce the holo lens. The company I work for uses 10,000 of them daily across the world. Apple didn’t try to market it to industry and straight up just tried to sell it to an extremely niche group of users.

With that being said I’d be interested if they moved forward with smart glasses that did ar. I have a pair of Xreals I love using, and if my iOS apps would just sync to a pair of glasses that would be amazing.

I have no interest in wearing a vr headset that isolates the user.

 

[dontwalkhand]

It’s the $3500 question. But also here’s something to think about. Even the Meta Quest 3 is not exactly flying off the shelves either.

Could it be that you know….this market segment isn’t one the general public is really interested in at all?

 

[cardfan]

Exactly.

Like with everything Apple has put out in the last 1-2 years, I feel like Vision Pro would have offered a much better experience if Apple had padded out the hardware's limitations using some high-level AI for eye, hand, and head-tracking, speech recognition and controlling the UI.

On that note, I'm almost 100% sure Apple will not launch this 1st gen. AVP in more regions and instead focus on the next model, dropping post iPhones 16 or 17, that gets M4/M5 and tons of AI to assist the wearer when navigating the UI, typing, using hand-gestures, etc.

Like, I can't help thinking that iPhones 16, despite the much less advanced hardware and much lower price, will offer far more value/$ with all the upcoming AI improvements than the $3499 AVP that will probably never get any.

You're assuming this so called AI improves anything on iphone. I'll believe it when i see it.

 

[obamtl]

How is that so? Laptops, TV'S etc all sell into the mid to high thousands. Have you priced up a quality projector or soundbar? Tech isn't cheap. The price is no different to a specced up iPhone 15 Pro or iPad Pro.

The problem is I'm not going to give up my iPhone, iPad, MBP, OLED TV and sound bar for this, so it's additional to them right now, rather than replacing them.

I think it's expensive, but I understand why it is currently this expensive, and even though I was tempted enough to consider travelling from the UK to the US to get one (as an early adopter tech enthusiast) I decided to wait until it arrived in the UK. But now that it's taken Apple so long to launch it here, and now that I've seen the long-term reactions of users, that enthusiasm is completely gone now, so I'll most likely give it a pass.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I love my AVP. I have a very specific use case, and it does that better than any other piece of tech I've ever owned. I have been more productive since the release of the AVP on my project than at any other time. My usage of the AVP is increasing, not decreasing.

As I've always said, you either have a use for it or you don't. All the prognosticators on here who simply have no use for it crack me up when the extrapolate their own personal view to everybody else. Or those who say "only stupid people are buying it." Project much?

Apple is clearly slow-rolling this out. Apple is not going to abandon this project. What's more, all of you saying "it should have been 2 oz in the form of Ray Bans and cost $250!" are just being silly. You don't get to smaller, different form factors without starting somewhere. So be thankful for the early adopters who are helping Apple improve the product.

There will be bumps in interest:

- Worldwide Release
- WWDC & Preview of VP 2.0

...And the moment they release on-demand sports (NFL, NBA, MLS) in full 3D 180, Apple won't be able to keep these in stock.