[cdumler]

For all the people saying that this is dead on arrival or will never gain traction because it's too expensive, too bulky, too whatever: this is going succeed. The first watch serious sucked, but now it has all kinds of sensors and an always on display. A lot of those unique components (like the stereoscopic display) will get mass produced, which will bring down cost. Refinement will improve abilities.

This particular headset? It is too expensive, too bulky, etc. But, I can tell you that in time any serious developer will have this. The only thing that will make me give up my ultra-wide monitor is this: an ultra-wide screen monitor that I can take anywhere.

[sinemetu11]

Consider the alternative -- most people don't care about this device...how many non-video-game playing people bought a VR headset until now?

[esafak]

This is not VR.

[11101010001100]

the watch is a poor comparison.

Is this the next iphone or not? That is the question.

[scarface_74]

Neither the iPad nor the Watch were the best iPhone. No one seriously thinks Apple will sell 80 million+ headsets a year

[turnsout]

It doesn't need to be the next iPhone to be a great business. Famously, AirPods alone would be a Fortune 200 company (probably higher now).

[rchaud]

This assumes that an independent accessory vendor could somehow worm its way into Apple's multi-billion dollar marketing campaigns. Airpods sell primarily due to the value of being a 1st-party Apple accessory.

[turnsout]

First of all, I disagree with the premise—plenty of Android users buy AirPods. But putting that aside, why does the success of AirPods invalidate the point that Vision Pro could be successful without being as big as the iPhone?

[rchaud]

Airpods are an existing product category (headphones) that everybody with a phone already uses. Couple that with Apple products being a status symbol, advertised everywhere, and it's not hard to see how Airpods could succeed even at a $200-ish price point.

As for AVP, it is a brand new category where the use cases are yet to be identified. It costs 2 months' rent, it has no killer apps that people are going to line up for, and you'll look weird wearing it. It's a completely different proposition.

[turnsout]

The history of Apple is a history of "no one in their right mind would pay a premium for THAT." A $500 unsubsidized phone? A $350 watch to get notifications? Stupid-looking $200 earbuds that will fall out of your ears?

AirPods got so much hate in 2016, it can be hard to remember. They were far from a sure thing.

[scarface_74]

Not the “Apple products are status symbols” canard.

How is something a “status symbol” if it has a 60% market share in the case of phones?

Any teenager working at McDonalds can buy an iPhone on 2 year contract or get one “free” with a contract from one of the low end MVNOs