Supply chain sources suggest that the Apple Vision Pro could potentially enter the Chinese market “as early as April and no later than May.”
The newly released Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s latest XR offering, is currently available exclusively in the U.S. Although Apple has confirmed plans to bring the Vision Pro headset to other countries like the United Kingdom or Canada, the company has not provided a specific timeline for this expansion.
However, according to the Chinese financial publication Wallstreetcn (not to be confused with the Wall Street Journal), the Apple Vision Pro will hit the Chinese market as early as April, possibly no later than May. The rumor indicates that the product’s registration process is nearing completion, and the initial supply is expected to be limited, implying a potentially rapid sales pace in China’s vast market.
Chinese news outlet IThome supplemented this report by stating that during a visit to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York, USA, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about the launch of the Vision Pro in China. Reportedly, Cook responded, “Not sure about the specific time, but it will be soon.”
This was further confirmed by Mark Gurman, who reported in January of this year that Apple is indeed considering China as one of the initial countries for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple considers using “Reality Pro” rather than “Vision Pro” in China
Apple faces a challenge in bringing Vision Pro to China due to its naming. The trademark “Vision Pro” is currently owned by Huawei, which filed for it on May 16, 2019, granting exclusive rights for up to 10 years. Huawei employs the term “Vision Pro” for its range of product prototypes, including VR headsets, smart glasses, and TVs.
Here is where the potential use of the “Reality Pro” name comes into play. “Reality Pro” was among the trademarks registered by Apple’s shell company, along with “Reality One” and “Reality Processor”. References were also made to the current visionOS, initially named “realityOS”, later renamed “xrOS”, before ultimately becoming visionOS. Interestingly, Apple engineers initially referred to visionOS as “xrOS” in developer videos shortly after the Vision Pro announcement, suggesting a possible last-minute change by Apple.
In August of last year, Mark Gurman reported that Apple is considering using the “Reality Pro” name in certain countries, like China, to avoid legal issues with Huawei, which holds exclusive rights to the Vision Pro trademark.
This is just one potential solution to the issue. Alternatively, Apple could acquire the naming rights, as they did with the “iPad” trademark in China. They purchased this trademark from Proview Technology for $60 million, resolving a similar trademark conflict.
