Apple Believed to Have Already Sold up to 180,000 Vision Pro Pre-Orders: Kuo

Apple is believed to have sold up to 180,000 Vision Pro headsets during its first pre-order weekend.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a market analyst at KGI Securities and Apple analyst, published a new Medium post. In it, the analyst claims that based on pre-order inventory and shipping time, Vision Pro preorder numbers may fall between 160,000 and 180,000.

Kuo says that Vision Pro sold out after the pre-order process opened. Shipping times for the mixed reality headset are expected to be five to seven weeks from when the order is placed. Kuo continues to explain that although instant sell-through and extended shipping times may be construed as positive, it’s worth noting that shipping times did not change after 48 hours of preorders opening. Thus, Kuo believes that demand may have tapered off once the hardcore Apple users purchased their units.

Kuo then compares the preorder trends of the iPhone to the initial Vision Pro preorders. Historically, popular iPhone models sell out immediately upon pre-order. Shipping times usually increase to upwards of several weeks hours after preorders open. The Apple analyst notes that, unlike Vision Pro, iPhone shipping times continue to increase and extend after 48 hours of pre-orders being available. This is an indicator of the new device’s stickiness and the demand it has.

Luxshare is the primary supplier of Apple Vision Pro. It’s reported that to maintain efficient shipments of the headset, the supplier will work overtime during the Lunar New Year. Luxshare is said to have been working full-time since the start of mass production to “offset the impact of production efficiency on shipments,” Kuo says.

The Apple analyst believes that it “should not be challenging” for Apple and Luxshare to ship 500,000 units this year. However, the Cupertino company will need to analyze its demand closely as it’s still recognized as a niche product.

Apple Vision Pro launches in the U.S. on February 2nd for $3,499 USD (around $4,717 CAD).