Apple Vision Pro was launched last week, with sales reportedly crossing 200,000 units even before the mixed reality headset arrived in retail stores in the country. This is the first release in Apple’s new product line since introducing the first Apple Watch nearly a decade ago, which is currently only available in the US, but the company plans to bring the Vision Pro to the China, Canada, and UK markets next Is. This may happen soon. A new report claims that the headset will be arriving in the Chinese market in the coming months.
According to Chinese outlet IT Home, citing a report by Asian outlet Wall Street News, the Apple Vision Pro will make its debut in China as early as April or as early as May. The information comes from supply chain sources, who also reportedly said that registration of the device with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China was almost complete. The sources also said that the first batch of headset sales in China will be “relatively tight.”
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported last month that the Apple Vision Pro will be available in China, Canada, and the UK after its US-only launch. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant reportedly expects to ship 5,00,000 Vision Pro units in 2024.
However, the launch of AR/VR headsets in China may not be free from some complications. The IT Home report also claims that Chinese technology giant Huawei owns the ‘Vision Pro’ trademark in the country, which would mean that Apple may have to launch its headset with a different name. Early reports of the headset’s development suggested that Apple might call its device ‘Reality Pro’. That branding can reportedly be used in China.
Notably, Huawei is also believed to be working on its own VR headset to rival the Apple Vision Pro. The company’s product may be launched in China later this year. Huawei is also taking on Apple’s market share in the smartphone segment in China, with the company’s phones becoming a popular choice as demand for the iPhone 15 slows.
While Apple is facing a slowdown in the Chinese market, the country remains an important production base for the iPhone maker. The Apple Vision Pro headset is assembled by Chinese contract manufacturer Luxshare, with the company reportedly leading the AR development team in Shanghai. Taiwanese firms Pegatron and Foxconn are also said to have assisted in the project.
