Apple’s Vision Pro Headset Will Launch in the US on February 2

As the tech industry will be gathering at CES in Las Vegas this week, Apple, which is skipping the annual trade show, has just dropped some major news to disrupt the tech news cycle. Indeed, the company just announced that the Apple Vision Pro will be available in the US on February 2, with pre-orders starting next week on January 19.

The Apple Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 for the model with 256GB of storage, will be available to purchase at all US Apple Store locations as well as the online Apple Store. The headset uses a modular design, and it will come with different accessories such as the Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band to adjust to different head sizes. The required external battery, USB-C charging cable, and power adapter are also included.

At launch, early adopters will have access to more than 1 million apps thanks to native support for iPad apps. Productivity apps like the Office suite and Slack will be available, but Apple also promises the “ultimate entertainment experience” with more than 150 3D titles on the Apple TV app, and support for a new Immersive Video format.

“The era of spatial computing has arrived,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created. Its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine how we connect, create, and explore.”

Apple’s Vision Pro headset features two 1.41-inch micro-OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones. As an alternative to Face ID, Apple created a new Optic ID technology that provides the same functionality by scanning a user’s iris.

One of the distinctive features of the Vision Pro headset is EyeSight, which makes the device look transparent when someone approaches the person wearing the headset. Users can see other persons in their environment, making the experience less isolating than VR, while their eyes are also being displayed on the headset.

As often, Apple is coming somewhat late to a market where products like Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 or Meta’s Quest Pro and Quest 3 mixed reality headsets didn’t become breakthrough hits. Thanks to its large app ecosystem and Apple’s ability to integrate hardware with software, the Vision Pro will likely provide the best mixed-reality experience on the market. However, consumers may not be ready yet for the “spatial computing” era, especially with a headset starting at $3,499.