Key Takeaway:
- Apple has scheduled a two-day training program for select US retail employees to get familiar with the upcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset.
- According to reports, the staff will be taught how to demo the headset for potential customers and also help them choose their preferred specifications.
- Vision Pro is expected to launch in early 2024 and will start from $3,499.
Apple is gearing up for the highly anticipated launch of the Vision Pro headset. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company is expected to commence training sessions for retail employees in the United States in January so they can get familiar with the mixed-reality headset once it’s out.
In the latest edition of his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg Apple guru Mark Gurman wrote that Apple has started scheduling two-day training sessions for retail employees who were previously shortlisted to undergo the program.
Apple Schedules Training For Select US Retail Employees on How to Use the Vision Pro Headset
The employees picked from each Apple Store in the US will be flown to the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California sometime next month to train. They will then head back to their respective stores and train the rest of the employees.
The selected staff will be taught everything there is about the Vision Pro, help improve its user experience, and ultimately convince customers to purchase the augmented reality headset.
Apple insiders told Gruman that it is a “high-stakes endeavor” as the setting up process for the Vision Pro is going to be complex and something the tech behemoth doesn’t want to mess up.
Since the device needs to be customized for each customer, a poor fitting could ruin the user experience. Therefore, Apple has orchestrated the program in such a way that employees know how to approach a potential Vision Pro customer, including unraveling its various features and placing the headset on the user’s head.
However, purchasing Vision Pro will not be as straightforward as ordering iPhones or Macs from the online store or picking them up from retail outlets.
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Apple to Set Up Designated Zones In Retail Stores For Customizing Vision Pro
Back in June, Gruman reported that customers will require an appointment with their closest Apple Store before purchasing the $3,499 headset. Apple will build designated areas within the stores for customers to try out the Vision Pro.
These spaces will serve as a hub to pick the correct sized headbands, lenses for those who wear prescription glasses, and the light seal – which keeps outside light from getting into the headset. The last time Apple introduced a similar marketing tactic was with the first Apple Watch in 2015.
Gruman also reported that Apple Stores will soon start receiving “new equipment to assemble and box up” the Vision Pros. He noted that customers will be “pushed” to pick up the device directly from the store, even if they placed an order online.
Apple’s first major product since the Apple Watch was announced at the WWDC in June. The company had initially hoped to release the Vision Pro in January but pushed the deadline forward.
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Vision Pro Expected To Launch By March 2024
Since Apple is yet to offer any word on when the device will be shipped to customers and employee training only beginning next month, Gruman says he would expect a release to occur in February or March.
Apple’s most expensive product yet will require customers to spend more than the base price of $3,499 as they would need to tailor it to their preference.
The headband that comes pre-attached to the Vision Pro is available in different sizes and could cost up to $200. Meanwhile, choosing the prescription lenses provided by Zeiss can come up to $600 a pair.
Then there is the case with the battery, as the cable attached to the device is proprietary and does not use USB-C, so customers have no way to jerry-rig an external battery pack to the Vision Pro and will need to resort to buying separate pucks. So what do you think, will the Apple Vision Pro be a hit or a miss?
