Apple Vision Pro Production Ramped Up in China as Firm Plans February Launch: Report

Apple Vision Pro — the company’s first wearable mixed reality headset announced at WWDC 2023 — could be launched in the next couple of months, according to a recent report. The iPhone maker is reportedly ramping up production of its spatial computer at assembly plants in China and has been working on training its employees at retail stores for the launch of the headset in the US. Apple has also been working with app developers to help them build apps for visionOS, its operating system for the Vision Pro.

A Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter states that production of the Vision Pro has been “running at full speed” for weeks now, and Apple is planning to have units ready by the end of next month and launch the product for retail customers in February. Despite the purported timeline, any challenges related to production might end up delaying Apple’s plans, as per the report.

Earlier this year, Apple said it would launch the Vision Pro in the US in “early 2024”. The company set up centres in several countries for developers to test out their apps using the headset, and has provided resources to aid the development of apps for visionOS. Recently, Telegram’s Pavel Durov teased the chat platform’s app for the Vision Pro, with three-dimensional message effects, an immersive media player, and support for voice typing.

Last month, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the launch of the Apple Vision Pro could be delayed to March as Apple completed final device testing and completed its distribution plans for the wearable device, which has an expensive $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.91 lakh) price tag.

An FT report earlier this year stated that Apple’s only Vision Pro assembler — Luxshare — would make less than 400,000 units in 2024, claiming that Apple was scaling back its production forecasts for the headset.

While the Vision Pro is yet to be launched in the US, Apple has reportedly started working on a second-generation headset, codenamed Project Alaska. The headset will reportedly feature a redesigned rear strap and could support an external audio accessory instead of the audio module found on the Vision Pro. However, it’s worth considering these details with a pinch of salt, as there’s no word from Apple on plans to launch a successor to the headset scheduled to launch in early 2024.