According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple will usher in its most significant new product launch in the past decade on February 2: the mixed reality headset Apple Vision Pro. However, Apple is facing one of the most serious marketing challenges in history: how to convince consumers to buy a phone that costs $3,499.
Although Apple has trumpeted that Vision Pro will usher in a new era, the company is already preparing for a “slow burn”. Apple expects a surge of sales from early adopters, but then demand quickly recedes.
Compared with the hot sales of iPod, iPhone , iPad and Apple Watch, Vision Pro faces a completely different situation. In 2001, people were hungry for a new way to listen to music, and the iPod filled the need; in 2007, the revolutionary capabilities of the iPhone were clear; the $499 iPad was a huge success in 2010; even the Apple Watch, which started slowly, It has also won over consumers with its health and fitness apps.
For these previous devices, consumers could make purchasing decisions by simply trying out the product at an Apple retail store. But Vision Pro is different. Wearing a mixed reality headset is a new experience for most people. If the headset is not worn correctly on the head, or lacks the correct lenses, the entire experience may be ruined, or even Make consumers give up purchasing.
In order to meet this challenge, Apple prepared the most complex demonstration process in history, which lasted up to 25 minutes , longer than watching a sitcom. This month, Apple held a training session at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where hundreds of employees participated to familiarize themselves with the entire demonstration process.
Once everything is ready, employees will explain how to operate the interface, including how to make selections with your eyes, how to confirm with gestures, and how to put on the headset. The demo will also show how to use the knobs on the headband to adjust the tightness, and how to use the Digital Crown to switch between virtual and augmented reality. Employees will have an iPad to view what users see on Vision Pro.
Retail employees will allow customers to place the device on their heads. After putting on the headset, customers will first calibrate the device so it can track their eyes and hands, which involves looking at a pattern of circular dots of varying brightness and within the device’s field of view. Hand scan within.
First, users will be directed to open the Photos app to view still images and panoramas similar to those pre-installed on other Apple devices in retail stores. The demo will then get more exciting and users will see space photos and space videos (birthday party scene).
Next, demos will show the use of Vision Pro as a computer or iPad replacement, such as how to place multiple app windows in a space and scroll web pages in Safari. Users will then experience 3D and immersive movies, including wildlife, ocean and sports footage, and even an adrenaline-pumping tightrope scene.
The Vision Pro in Apple retail stores will also come pre-installed with a variety of third-party apps that will be launched with the device next month. The goal of a demo is to give users an engaging but not exhausting experience that ideally leaves them wanting more.
Apple is asking hundreds of employees trained in Cupertino to teach the process to their colleagues, and retail employees will also try out the headsets themselves days before they go on sale, a major shift in Apple’s product launch strategy.
Ensuring that customers remain comfortable while trying on Vision Pro is critical, and the longer it is worn, the more difficult it is to do so. Some retail workers said privately that they felt tired and sweaty after only wearing them for about half an hour.
During the headquarters training, retail store employees also saw accessories for the Vision Pro, including a redesigned second headband that is said to be more comfortable when worn for extended periods of time. However, the headband will not be used for in-store demonstrations.
The demo process is slightly different from the actual purchasing experience. Upon actual purchase, after facial scanning, a retail employee will put together the appropriate hood, headband size, and foam padding at the checkout counter, similar to how an Apple Watch and band are put together.
