Apple quietly announced plans to host in-store demos at the launch of Vision Pro, but it isn’t clear how long they will continue.
Alongside its announcement of the forthcoming pre-orders and release of Vision Pro, Apple noted in a marketing email that it plans to host demos in US stores so customers can try Vision Pro themselves.
“Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 2 [Vision Pro launch day], we invite you to sign up for a demo of Apple Vision Pro at your local Apple Store. Demo times will be available Friday through the weekend on a first-come, first-served basis. We can’t wait to see you there,” the message reads.
The message says demo times will be available “through the weekend” which suggests only from February 2–4. But it seems odd that Apple would only demo the headset for a few days. It’s also unclear if demo times can only be reserved at the store itself or online.
When reached for clarification, the company declined to offer additional details on the duration or process of Vision Pro in-store demos. Nor does the official Vision Pro website have any mention of them.
Our best guess is this initial in-store demo schedule is a sort of soft-launch while the company irons out the process before it commits to a more formal in-store demo program in the long term.
Apple has long offered in-store demos and courses for its products, but XR headset demos are a notoriously difficult task as far as customer education goes. Key challenges include keeping devices sanitary, fitting them to each customer, explaining new inputs and interactions, and dedicating floor space that’s free of obstacles.
When giving press demos of the headset, Apple is careful to ask for each person’s vision prescription so they can have correct inserts available at the time of demo. If the company plans to do the same for in-store demos, that’s just one more factor that makes headset demos more challenge than something like an iPad.
