Fellow Vision Pro Early Adopters – Let’s Ask Apple for a Fair Upgrade Path 👓🍎

[Beaverfish]

Hey everyone,

As an early Apple Vision Pro owner, I’ve absolutely loved being part of this first step into spatial computing. I bought mine for nearly £4,000 at launch because I believed in what Apple was building. But with the M5 Vision Pro now announced, it’s hard not to feel that those of us who supported Apple from the very start have been left behind.

We accepted early-generation limitations, shared feedback, and showcased the product — effectively becoming unpaid ambassadors for Apple’s vision. The M2 Vision Pro was, in truth, an early-access device, and a preferential upgrade or trade-in option would be a meaningful way for Apple to recognise that loyalty.

I’ve written to Tim Cook directly at tcook@apple.com, and I’d encourage any other early adopters who feel the same to do so as well. The more constructive feedback Apple receives, the more likely it is to act.


Here’s the email I sent (feel free to adapt it for your own message):

Subject: Early Vision Pro Supporters Deserve an Upgrade Path

Dear Mr Cook,

I have been an Apple customer for most of my life. As a student, I saved for months to buy my first Mac, a G4 Mac mini, and I’ve been a devoted user ever since — from the iPod and iPhone to the iPad and now the Apple Vision Pro.

When I bought the M2 Vision Pro for nearly £4,000, I did so as an early believer in spatial computing. Those of us who supported this first-generation product accepted its limitations because we wanted to be part of the future Apple was creating.

Now that the M5 Vision Pro has been announced, many of us feel left behind. The M2 model feels like an early-access device, yet early adopters are offered no upgrade or trade-in path. This risks discouraging the very community who helped bring the platform to life.

Apple once recognised early iPhone owners with a discounted iPhone 3G upgrade. A similar gesture today would show that Apple still values those who believe first.

Thank you for your time and continued leadership.

Warm regards,


If enough of us contact Apple politely and consistently, we might just remind them that rewarding loyalty has always been part of what made the company special.

Let’s keep it respectful, constructive, and community-minded, exactly the kind of feedback Apple has always listened to.

— Karl 🇬🇧

 

[James_C]

Upgrade path = Sell it on eBay or take to a CEX shop, will probably get you more money than an Apple trade in anyway.

However I do get you when Apple should allow a trade in. That having being said it looks like Vision Pro is dead in the water, with rumours that Apple are no longing actively developing it in favour of some kind of glasses product instead.

Main problem is most developers have ignored Vision Pro development. without great software it will always struggle. I basically use mine mainly as a huge cinema screen.

 

[Disher]

Not allowing trade in is a hugh tell all for me. It shows that Apple doesn`t even want the things.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Trade in is coming soon if folks on reddit are to be believed.

They claim to have heard that from Apple support chats, so take that for what its worth I guess?

 

[Roller]

Trade in is coming soon if folks on reddit are to be believed.

They claim to have heard that from Apple support chats, so take that for what its worth I guess?

Maybe, though I'd be surprised if it'll be enough to make upgrading attractive. I've traded in a few Apple products over the years because it was more convenient than selling, though I could have gotten a higher price. I love my AVP and use it daily, but I won't buy a new one until I see where the platform goes.

It'd be nice if Apple offered a price break on the new head band to early adopters, but I don't expect it.

 

[Macaholic868]

The Vision Pro is effectively dead. VisionOS is what remains. A stripped down version will power the Apple Glasse Gen 1 and Gen 2 with a display (or two) in the lense(s) will feature a stripped down version that can live within the bounds of its hardware and the hardware and processing power of the iPhone it’s paired with with the more feature complete version running within the bounds of its hardware and the hardware and processing power of a Mac.

It wouldn’t shuck me if they keep refreshing the Vision Pro with spec bumps for the business / enterprise space where it’s found a home among those in certain specific vertical markets with, maybe, a Vision or Vision Air model for consumers who want the fully emerged VR / AR from ever angle with no outside light experience only a full headset with goggles can provide but IMO AR Glasses is always where the tech was going.

Meta just made Apple up its game and change that timeline. They proved there was a market for AI and thus AR glasses where Apple didn’t think one existed yet, so they readjusted on the fly.

It’s destined to become the next Lisa. Ahead of its time in so many ways but just too expensive for most consumers who drive Apple’s business.

I still love mine and will use it until it dies to experience AR or VR apps plus 3D and Immersive Video which I think Apple bothers will continue to develop for when the glasses finally have displays in both lenses and want to watch or interact with that kind of content and apps on that form factor.

It has a pre-existing app and content ecosystem that’ll be there’s on launch day when they ship actual AI/AR glasses. That’ll give them the leg up on their rivals even if they are late to the hardware party.

 

[JPack]

Allowing trade-ins is purely a business decision. The main goal of Apple trade-in is to manage and curtail the secondary market. In other words, the goal is to the reduce the number of devices on the secondary (used) market. This keeps prices and demand high on new devices. This is why Apple sued a recycling company for keeping and reselling over 100,000 usable iPhones, iPads, and Watches instead of destroying them as contracted to do so.

Not saying emails to Tim Cook won't work. But the likely reason a trade-in program isn't available is simply because there were very few Vision Pro buyers in the first place. This makes the M2 secondary market very small and unlikely to negatively affect the demand for M5 Vision Pro. Hence, it wasn't worth buying back M2 units to prop up M5 sales. In addition, Vision Pro buyers are very likely extreme enthusiasts and are unlikely to buy last gen devices in the first place.

Apple is suing a recycling firm for $23 million, claiming it resold iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches instead of breaking them down

Apple claims in the suit that it sent more than 530,000 iPhones, 25,000 iPads, and 19,200 Apple Watches to the Ontario-based GEEP from 2015 to 2017.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[The Game 161]

Not allowing trade in is a hugh tell all for me. It shows that Apple doesn`t even want the things.

apple don't run the trade in program so it's more down to the company they use.