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Months after China and Japan, Apple Vision Pro set for November release in Korea

Published: 31 Oct. 2024, 12:00 Updated: 31 Oct. 2024, 16:26

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

The Apple Vision Pro will launch in Korea on Nov. 15. [APPLE KOREA]

The Apple Vision Pro will launch in Korea on Nov. 15, Apple said Thursday.

The country was excluded from the mixed reality headset's initial limited waves of overseas rollouts, through which China, Japan and Singapore received the product on June 28 followed by Germany, France, Australia, Britain and Canada on July 12. The launch, which has been an unusually slow one for Apple, began with a U.S. release on Feb. 2.

Customers in Korea can preorder the mixed reality headset starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 4 for a starting price of 4.99 million won ($3,618).

The Vision Pro headset delves into a new technology that Apple markets as “spatial computing,” allowing its wearer to use apps, from Microsoft Excel to ChatGPT, in the space around them without eliminating their view of reality. Users can interact with the system through physical input, taking advantage of its “natural control” systems such as hand tracking, eye tracking and voice commands, as well as physical tools like keyboards and trackpads.

A user demonstrates the Apple Vision Pro in a video produced by Apple. [APPLE]

Sales of the $3,500 headset have underperformed Apple's expectations since the February launch. Prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo leaked that the company had slashed its shipment forecast by as much as 50 percent in April following weaker-than-expected demand and widespread returns among early adopters. The Information reported that Apple had scaled back its production plans again earlier this month but could change course should demand increase.

Market intelligence firm International Data Corporation estimated that Apple would sell fewer than 500,000 headsets this year, according to Bloomberg; The Information reported that the company had manufactured at least 600,000 to 800,000 since last year.

Bloomberg had previously reported that Apple was making a high-end model with faster processing abilities as well as a cheaper version. The Information reported this summer that the firm had suspended work on the high-end headset following the first generation's disappointing sales and aimed to ship a more affordable model by the end of 2025.

The November rollout will also apply to the United Arab Emirates.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]