Apple has officially confirmed that the first-generation Vision Pro is not eligible for its trade-in program leaving early adopters to pay full price for the new model (via MacRumors).
In a press update, the company made clear that the first-generation Vision Pro is not eligible for credit toward the purchase of the new model or any other Apple device.
The exclusion affects customers who purchased the first-generation Vision Pro, which was powered by the M2 chip and launched at a premium price point. With the announcement of the updated Vision Pro featuring the M5 chip, higher refresh rates and a new Dual Knit Band accessory, Apple’s trade-in policy diverges from its usual practice of offering credit when a device is replaced by a next-generation model.
Some buyers are bound to be disappointed. The original Vision Pro represented a major investment. With the new headset taking the same starting price and upgrade incentives absent, early owners will face the full cost if they want to switch to the new model.
Observers suggest the move may reflect multiple factors. One possible explanation is the relatively niche nature of the headset category and the high cost and complexity of refurbishment for such a device, making trade-in value unattractive or impractical for Apple’s third-party trade-in vendor partners.
For affected users the options are limited. While Apple won’t accept the first-gen Vision Pro in its trade-in program, owners can still explore resale through third-party marketplaces or specialist buy-back services. Some trade-in and buy-back sites already list the Vision Pro with estimated cash value offers despite Apple’s exclusion.
The announcement comes alongside the launch of the updated model and the publication of Apple’s press release detailing the new Vision Pro availability and features. The Apple newsroom article itself includes the statement about ineligibility for trade-in.
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The only thing disappointing is the abysmal trade in values one gets trading in with Apple (or virtually any other supplier for that matter). It's typically less than half the actual resale value. Vision Pro users who are upgrading would be better served doing a private sale, or even a pawn shop, frankly.
I'm willing to bet Tim Cook's Vision Pro collects dust like most VR headsets eventually do.