The Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset goes on sale at the Apple flagship store in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, June 28, 2024.
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images
HANGZHOU, China – AppleShipping of the mixed reality headset began in China on Friday with a retail price about 18% higher than in the United States
The device starts at 29,999 yuan, or $4,128, in China, compared to a retail price of $3,500 in the United States
When contacted by CNBC, a customer named Chen in Beijing said his suggestion to Apple CEO Tim Cook was to make Vision Pro cheaper by about 10,000 yuan, or $1,376. The customer, who did not reveal his first name because of concerns about speaking to foreign media, said that many people in China are reluctant to purchase one because of the discounted price that usually accompanies purchases from sellers not affiliated with Apple might prefer a used Vision Pro.
According to a CNBC translation, many of the most popular posts about the device on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Friday focused on the hashtag “Is it worth paying for the China version of Vision Pro?”
CNBC has reached out to Apple for comment.
Greater China accounted for about 18% of Apple’s sales in the three months ended March 30, according to an Apple filing.
Over the past year, Apple has faced growing competition from Huawei devices and other domestic brands as national security became more of a focus.
Chen pre-ordered his Vision Pro and went to a large store in Beijing to pick it up and receive training on how to use it.
Store salespeople told CNBC that all half-hour training sessions for pre-orders of the Vision Pro were fully booked at Apple Stores in Beijing on Friday – from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m
Chinese companies such as Tencent, Alibaba and JD.com have launched Vision Pro versions of their shopping, gaming and video-watching apps.
Source link
2024-06-28 15:25:25
www.cnbc.com
