Tim Hardwick
Apple's Vision Pro headset will be released in China as early as April and “no later than May,” according to supply chain sources cited by Asia's Wall Street News (via IT Home).
According to the report, the device registration process with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is close to completion, paving the way for the launch of Vision Pro in the country , although availability of the devices is expected to be limited at first.
Apple has officially said that following its recent launch in the US on February 2, the Apple Vision Pro will be coming to other countries later this year, although the company is yet to say. in which countries and when exactly.
According to inside Apple sources cited by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the Vision Pro launch in other countries around the world “won't actually come much later” than its release in USA.
Apple is eyeing the UK and Canada as the first two international markets to see mixed products. According to Gurman, the Reality headset will arrive this year.
Soon after, Apple is reportedly considering releasing the Vision Pro to the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, with Apple engineers working on localizing the device for France. , Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will likely release its Vision Pro headset outside the US ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2024 of the year. Kuo bases his forecast on information that suggests Apple plans to share new details about VisionOS, the device's operating system, with developers around the world at an upcoming developer conference.
Chinese companies account for more than 60% of the total. according to DigiTimes, in the Apple Vision Pro supply chain. Luxshare is reported to be the exclusive assembler of the Vision Pro, and Chinese lens manufacturer Lens Technology is the exclusive supplier of the headset's laminated front glass. Batteries, speakers and sensor modules also come from China.
Notably, Apple may be forced to change the name of its new mixed reality headset in China if it can't come to an agreement with Huawei, which already owns the trademark Vision Pro in the country. The trademark was originally granted to Huawei on May 16, 2019 and gives the company exclusive rights to use it in China from November 28, 2021 to November 27, 2031.
Huawei actively uses the trademark in China, and offers a range of Vision-branded products, including smart TVs and smart glasses. If Apple intends to sell its headset in China and call it Vision Pro, it may have to enter into negotiations with Huawei to issue the trademark for a fee.
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