The Apple Vision Prois slated to launch in early 2024, but this timeline does not exactly mean the company will be at liberty to start stocking units at its retail outlets as quickly as possible. According to one report, the launch is said to be an extremely complicated process, with customers only able to own the AR headset through an appointment process.

The appointment process will ensure that the Apple Vision Pro fits customers correctly, along with any prescription lenses that they may require

We have discussed previously that the Apple Vision Pro launch will be similar to the Apple Watch, where customers had to book appointments in order to obtain ownership of the device. Bloomberg reports that Apple intends to transform a portion of each of its U.S. retail outlets into dedicated booths that will serve customers in being the early adopters of the company’s mixed-reality headset. Given the complexities of the product, the company simply cannot start stocking and selling hundreds of units.

Instead, the dedicated area will be present to scan the wearer’s head and take appropriate measurements while also discussing the need for prescription lenses, which are said to cost up to $600 per pair. To make it simpler to get the wearer’s correct measurements, Apple is said to be developing an iPhone app that will scan the individual’s head prior to purchasing the device. It should be noted that the physical changes coming to the retail outlets will only be applied to the largest stores present in New York and Los Angeles.

The report does not mention how long it will take Apple to bring those changes to the rest of its stores in the U.S. The Apple Vision Pro is also said to be sold in the online store in early 2024, but any idea of circumventing past the measurements problem was not discussed, so it is likely that customers must already be aware of these figures before placing the order. As for the third-party sellers, these will not be included until at least 2025, and when talking about selling units outside of the U.S. market, the Apple Vision Pro will be sold in international regions from late 2024.

In the future, Apple may develop easily-adjustable head straps that do not require accurate head measurements and can be changed on the fly. This will mean that future AR headsets do not need those elaborate appointment systems in place, which we are sure are costing Apple plenty of resources to implement, but it does need to proceed in this manner if it wants some traction going.

News Source: Bloomberg