The launch of any new Apple gadget is usually met by scores of avid fans queueing down the street from the early hours of the morning.

However, as the £3,500 Apple Vision Pro launches around the world, it seems the pricey gadget has received a muted response from British tech fans.

The mixed-reality headset has been branded Apple's most advanced device ever, but its hefty price tag and earlier release in the US seem to have dampened enthusiasm. 

Outside London's flagship store on Regent Street, just seven die-hard enthusiasts made the early morning trip to get their hands on the gadget. 

However, over in Sydney, the launch of the Vision Pro was met with long lines as fans turned out to collect the very first pre-orders. 




Outside London 's flagship store on Regent Street, just seven die-hard enthusiasts made the early morning trip to get their hands on the gadget 



And the classic Apple Store opening round of applause pic.twitter.com/bFYSEfVCFi

— Arjun Kharpal (@ArjunKharpal) July 12, 2024



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The Apple Vision Pro is the company's cutting-edge virtual reality headset, which Apple describes as a 'spatial computing device'. 

By wearing the 650g (22.9 ounces) headset, users can overlay information over their view of the real world or completely immerse themselves in a digital space. 

Launching across the US in February earlier this year, the device was met with mixed responses from tech enthusiasts.

On one hand, no one could deny that Apple's tech was leaps and bounds beyond anything else on the market.

But for many, the device lacked any clear practical use and users found the device was too heavy on their heads, let alone their wallets. 

In London today, those early apprehensions appeared to have led to a lacklustre turnout for the device's launch.




One commenter on X reported finding only a single person waiting outside the Apple Store on Regent Street, London, before the device went on sale





A few die-hard fans still made the early morning trip to the Apple Store to get their hands on the latest gadget 

Liam Nicholson, 27, who was first in line as the Regent Street store opened its doors at 8am, said trying out the tech was a 'really good experience' and thought it was worth the money.

He said: 'I think some stuff like Mac Virtual Display and the work side of things I'm really excited about.

'So I think it will really help with that. 

'Also some of the media consumption stuff is an exciting part as well - so like movies, things like that. And then the gaming side.'




In the UK, the launch of the device seems to have been met with an extremely muted response from tech fans





A few fans arrived to collect a Vision Pro through a pre-booked demo to get the device set up and fitted




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Apple points out that the low turnout might be an expected result of the new online purchase system.

Customers are able to book a slot to test or purchase the Vision Pro online and turn up later in the day to collect their product. 

Since the Vision Pro needs a tight seal against the face to keep out light, employees scan customers' faces with an iPhone to work out their exact size and fit.

The customers were then taught how to use the necessary combination of finger gestures and eye motions to control the device. 

Rumi Onoda, 50, was the first person to purchase the headset from the Regent Street store, which she said felt 'immersive' and left her 'speechless'.

Mrs Onada added: iconwin 'I feel like I'm in a sci-fi film.' 




At the Apple Store in Sydney (pictured), the launch was met with far more enthusiasm as queues formed outside in the early morning

Despite the fan's enthusiasm, some analysts have cast doubt on the success of the Vision Pro.

Rebecca Crook, chief growth officer at Positive Digital, told MailOnline: 'Despite the queues on Regent Street this morning, the Apple Vision Pro seems to have had a rather lacklustre launch in comparison to other Apple product releases.

'The Vision Pro is effectively a new sector, therefore, relatively unknown to the majority of consumers.' 

Ms Crook adds that the Vision Pro's price point has put it so far out of the reach of most consumers that it has yet to sell 100,000 units in a quarter since its launch. 




The first customer to receive his Apple Vision Pro (pictured) walks out of the Apple Store in Sydney 







In Paris, the launch was not met with much more enthusiasm with one commenter on X reporting that there were around 10 people in the queue at opening time.

However, in Australia, the arrival of the Vision Pro was met with something approaching Apple's usual fanfare.

By 9am local time, the Sydney flagship store was packed with fans eager to get their hands on the headset.

Nor were Australian tech enthusiasts put off by the AU$6,000 price which has deterred so many potential customers.

Market tracker IDC predicts that the costly device will not sell more than 500,000 units this year - compared with the millions of new iPhones sold each year.




By 9am local time, the Sydney flagship store was packed with fans eager to get their hands on the headset. Nor were Australian tech enthusiasts put off by the AU$6,000 price which has deterred so many potential customers 

Apple is believed to be working on a cheaper model of the Vision Pro which could arrive in the next year or two.

However, even then many still struggle to overcome the lack of viable uses for their headsets.

Five months after launch, Apple said that there were 2,000 apps available for its spatial computing device.

By contrast, there were 20,000 iPad apps available by 2010 and 10,000 iPhone apps as early as 2008. 

The Vision Pro does offer more than 1,000 apps specifically made for the device and a catalogue of some 250 compatible games. 

However, it is yet to be seen whether that will be enough to compete with cheaper dedicated gaming headsets such as the Meta Quest 3.  







SydneyLondon