Apple Vision Pro is finally here – at least in the United States. Announced last June at WWDC 2023, Apple’s mixed reality headset is now available in stores with prices starting at $3,499. And after visiting the Apple Fifth Avenue store this morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook compared the launch of the Vision Pro to the launch of the iPhone and other Apple products.
Tim Cook’s memo to employees on Apple Vision Pro
In a memo sent to Apple employees on Friday seen by Bloomberg, Cook reinforces that Apple Vision Pro introduces a “new era of spatial computing” and that all employees should celebrate what the company has achieved, as well as “reflect on the amazing potential that still lies ahead.”
The executive says in the memo that he was at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in the morning and that the customers’ excitement about the launch of the Vision Pro “was palpable.” Cook also praised the Retail teams for their “vital role” in showing and delivering the new device to the world.
In the memo, Cook also compares the launch of the Apple Vision Pro with the launch of other Apple products such as the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. “We knew we had something special [with the iPhone], but none of us could have foreseen its profound impact on our everyday lives,” suggesting that Vision Pro will also be successful in the future.
You can read the full memo below:
Team,
Today we launched Apple Vision Pro, introducing an entirely new era of spatial computing. Moments like this should make us all pause — to celebrate what we’ve achieved and reflect on the amazing potential that still lies ahead.
This morning I was with our team at Apple Fifth Avenue, where the excitement for this moment was palpable. It’s an incredible thing to watch people experience Apple Vision Pro for the very first time. The impossible becomes possible right before their eyes, and often they don’t have the words to describe the experience. It really is a technology you have to see — and see through — to believe. And it was truly a gift to hear customers share their amazement, their emotion, and their dreams for this incredible device we’ve created. The whole experience reaffirmed the magnitude of this moment, as well as our Retail teams’ vital role in delivering this unprecedented technology to the world.
Apple Vision Pro brings together thousands of innovations to create a product that’s like nothing the world has ever seen before. It’s an extraordinary achievement, and as so many of you can attest, it has been years in the making. Apple Vision Pro is a reality thanks to you — thanks to your commitment, your passion, and your contributions to the special culture that drives innovation at Apple. I especially want to thank all of the teams that have been dedicated to this project, who poured in countless hours over many years to yet again push the boundaries of what is possible.
Of course, for us, the most important thing about Apple Vision Pro is how it enriches our customers’ lives — strengthening connection, unlocking potential, and empowering people to accomplish things that simply wouldn’t be possible any other way. It’s profoundly moving to think of people reliving their most treasured memories, or even introducing a loved one to a relative they never had the chance to meet. It’s exhilarating to imagine the unbelievable new entertainment experiences our customers will discover, and the innovative apps our amazing developers will create. It’s exciting to think of everything this unlocks for industries the world over, and of the incredible opportunities that still lie ahead. Because with spatial computing, this is just the beginning of the impact we can make.
Two weeks ago we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Mac, a revolutionary device that transformed the world and laid the foundation for decades of innovation. When we shared iPod with the world, we put a thousand songs in our customers’ pockets overnight. I remember the day we launched iPhone. We knew we had something special, but none of us could have foreseen its profound impact on our everyday lives. Then came iPad, a magical sheet of glass that becomes anything you want it to be, fostering new forms of connection and creativity for millions of people. With Apple Watch, there isn’t a day that goes by I don’t get a note from a user about its lifesaving impact. And now with today’s launch, Apple Vision Pro joins the pantheon of groundbreaking products that have defined Apple and redefined technology as we know it.
It’s not every day we have a moment like this one. Thank you for all you’ve done to make it possible.
Tim
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As of today, customers in the U.S. can not only buy an Apple Vision Pro, but also get a demo at their nearest Apple Store. These demos will be 25 minutes long and guide you through how to use Vision Pro, what content and apps are available, and more. Apple says Vision Pro will be available in a few more countries later this year.
Be sure to check out 9to5Mac’s full coverage of the Vision Pro launch in the U.S.
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