In a long article about technology trends in 2024, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple will start shipping its Vision Pro mixed reality headset in early January and host a new Mac launch event at the end of the year.
In this post, Guo presented his annual report and provided forecasts for the technology industry in 2024.
Although he addressed expectations about the availability of Apple's mixed reality glasses, most of the comments centered around Android and annual timelines.
Describing the glasses as an important product for the company in 2024, Kuo said the headwear is currently in mass production and will be delivered in the first week of January.
Given that timeline, the Vision Pro could be available in late January or early February, with about 500,000 units delivered for all of 2024, Kuo said.
“If user feedback on Vision Pro is better than expected, it will help reinforce the market consensus that Vision Pro is the next big thing in consumer electronics,” Kuo said.
Apple has announced plans to launch the Vision Pro as early as 2024, but has not set a specific date.
It is worth noting that Kuo's report is not the first to indicate that the glasses will be available in January. Journalist Mark Gurman said in early December that the glasses would likely be available within that time frame.
Gorman explained that Apple plans to bring a select group of retail employees to headquarters in January to train them on how to use the glasses, and these employees will then train other store employees.
The training program begins in mid-January and each employee benefits from a two-day training session.
Customers can pre-order the Vision Pro online, but Apple encourages them to purchase the mixed reality headsets at retail.
Apparently, Apple Stores may soon receive the glasses in hopes of assembling the headphones and making them available to customers on-site.
Kuo also expects a new Mac media event to be held in Q4 2024 after the launch of the iPhone 16 series.
Aside from WWDC, Ko currently has no events planned for the first half of 2024.
The launch schedule for new Macs seems a long way off, and Apple is unlikely to wait until fall 2024 to update pro Macs like the Mac Studio or Mac Pro, as new hardware could be unveiled at WWDC.