CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY:
Global technology company Apple has followed up the recent launch of its “mixed-reality” headset retailing at around A$5,200 with a budget “real-reality” range.
Last week Apple CEO Tim Cook launched the company’s Apple Vision Pro headset (below) offering buyers the ability to enjoy either augmented reality or full virtual reality with high-definition 4k imaging as well as being able to take photos or videos.
But a source within Apple’s Californian headquarters said customer feedback and the company’s own market research has revealed considerable buyer resistance to the new headset based on its hefty price tag.
“Tim himself was somewhat taken aback by the research findings,” the insider said.
“He has become very accustomed to participating in the many slick, heavily stage-managed live product presentations at Apple headquarters for new Apple products which are invariably greeted with loud cheers from the audience of Apple employees.
“But once the cheers die down and everyone goes back to work, the reality of actual sales can sometimes not match Tim’s expectations.
“Take for instance one of his pet projects, the Apple iAir, which he launched a few years back to a very positive response from Apple employees. (below)
“The iAir was certainly in line with Apple’s philosophy. Leaving aside the fact that it was just a cardboard box with nothing but air inside, it really did look good.
“It had a sleek minimalist design and came in a range of sizes which were all priced accordingly – from A$450 for a 20-litre box of air up to A$1,400 for a 75-litre box.
“But we shipped only about 19 million of the iAir boxes worldwide in the first year after its release. Sales have plateaued since then and there is a real question mark over its future.
“We really couldn’t understand why it didn’t meet sales projections, especially since everyone needs air. Right?”
The Apple source said in response to the lukewarm consumer reaction to the new Vision Pro “mixed-reality” headset, Tim Cook had fast-tracked development and marketing of a lower-priced variant.
“The new Vision Pro II ‘real-reality’ headset looks just like a normal pair of spectacle frames but it has no lenses so users receive a genuinely lifelike image of what they are looking at.
“Tim was insistent that the new Vision Pro II should be a ‘green’ product, so we’ve made sure it will be available only in one colour.
“We believe the Vision Pro II – priced at just A$3,700 – will find a ready pool of buyers and may serve as a stepping stone for buyers who will likely trade up to the full Vision Pro at the higher price,” the source said.
The Bug can report that queues have already formed outside Apple Shops worldwide with thousands of the company’s devotees planning to sleep on footpaths overnight to be among the first through the door to buy the new “real-reality” headsets when they go on sale in early August.
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