Apple has informed its employees through a recent memo that they are now eligible for a 25% discount on the newly launched Vision Pro, a mixed-reality headset priced at $3,500. This discount brings the cost of the device down to approximately $2,625 for Apple employees. The offer is notably lower than the 50% discount Apple provided during the launch of previous products like the smartwatch and HomePod smart speaker. The move is seen as an incentive for Apple employees to experience and potentially promote the Vision Pro.
Apple Giving Employees 25% Discount on Vision Pro
Discount Details and Eligibility
According to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors, Apple is giving its employees a 25% discount on Vision Pro, which has a retail price of $3,500. The discount applies to both the Vision Pro device and the Vision Pro Care plan, which covers accidental damage and technical support for two years. The offer is valid for pre-orders starting from January 19, 2024, and ending on February 2, 2024, the same day that Vision Pro will be available in stores. The offer is limited to one Vision Pro per employee, and employees must agree to keep the device for personal use only and not resell it.
Significance of Discount for Employees
The 25% discount on Vision Pro is a significant benefit for Apple employees, as it reduces the price of the device by $875, making it more affordable and accessible. Vision Pro is Apple’s first spatial computer, which seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world while allowing users to stay present and connected to others. Vision Pro features a breakthrough design, a custom micro-OLED display, a dual-chip design, Spatial Audio, and a 3D camera with spatial photos and videos. Vision Pro also runs on visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, which enables powerful spatial experiences controlled by the user’s eyes, hands, and voice.
By giving its employees a discount on Vision Pro, Apple is not only rewarding them for their hard work and dedication but also encouraging them to experience and explore the device’s capabilities and potential. This could help Apple gather feedback and insights from its employees, as well as generate word-of-mouth and enthusiasm among their friends and family.
What is Vision Pro?
Vision Pro is an innovative spatial computer that transforms the manner in which users engage with their preferred applications, record and revisit memories, indulge in captivating TV shows and movies, and communicate with people via FaceTime. Vision Pro enables the creation of apps with an unlimited canvas that extends beyond the limitations of a standard display and delivers a fully immersive three-dimensional user interface. Vision Pro may be operated using eye tracking, hand gestures, and voice commands, resulting in a user experience that is both instinctive and enchanting. Users have the option to utilize applications for collaborating with colleagues on shared documents. Additionally, they can concurrently utilize the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad to establish an optimal workspace or wirelessly integrate the advanced features of their Mac into Vision Pro.
Vision Pro provides an engrossing means of enjoying entertainment, since it has the ability to convert any space into a private cinema. With Spatial Audio, users may enhance their viewing and gaming experiences by adjusting the size of their movies, shows, and games to an optimal level. This feature creates a sense of immersion, making users feel more engaged and involved in the action. Vision Pro boasts a higher pixel count than a 4K TV for each eye, guaranteeing exceptional content quality regardless of the user’s location.
Vision Pro is Apple’s inaugural 3D camera that enables the capture of spatial photographs and films in three dimensions. These media can then be experienced in an unprecedented manner, thanks to the inclusion of immersive Spatial Audio, allowing for a more immersive and lifelike reliving of beloved memories. Users have the ability to examine their current collection of images and videos at an impressive level of magnification, creating the sensation of being physically present at the original location where the media was captured. Users have the capability to capture spatial films using the iPhone 15 Pro and subsequently access them on Vision Pro.
Vision Pro facilitates seamless collaboration and connectivity regardless of the user’s location. FaceTime video tiles are displayed in life-size, and as more participants join the call, the user’s space expands accordingly. Additionally, users have the ability to utilize applications within FaceTime in order to engage in screen sharing, participate in gaming activities, or collectively view videos.
Original Price and Market Reception
Vision Pro has a retail price of $3,500, which is significantly higher than other mixed reality headsets in the market, such as Microsoft HoloLens 2 ($3,500) and Facebook Horizon ($299). However, Apple claims that Vision Pro is unlike anything created before and that it offers unparalleled performance, mobility, and wearability. Vision Pro also has a sleek and elegant design, a custom micro-OLED display, a dual-chip design, Spatial Audio, and a 3D camera, which are features that other headsets do not have.
Vision Pro was announced on June 5, 2023, at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, and it received mixed reactions from the public and the media. Some praised Apple for its innovation and vision, while others criticized Apple for its high price and lack of killer apps. Vision Pro also faced some technical challenges, such as battery life, overheating, and privacy concerns. Apple has not revealed how many pre-orders it has received for Vision Pro, but some analysts estimate that it could sell between 1 million and 3 million units in 2024.
Potential Reasons for Employee Discount
Lack of Second Vision Pro Keynote
One possible reason for Apple’s decision to give its employees a discount on Vision Pro is that it did not hold a second keynote event for the device, as it usually does for its new products. Apple typically holds two events for its major product launches: one to announce the product and its features, and another to showcase the product and its apps, as well as announce the release date and price. However, for Vision Pro, Apple only held one event, which was the announcement at WWDC 2023. This could mean that Apple did not have enough time or resources to prepare a second event, or that it did not have enough compelling apps or content to showcase for Vision Pro. By giving its employees a discount on Vision Pro, Apple could be trying to make up for the lack of a second event and generate more excitement and buzz for the device.
Strategy to Increase Sales
Another possible reason for Apple’s decision to give its employees a discount on Vision Pro is that it is a strategy to increase sales and market share for the device. Vision Pro is a new product category for Apple, and it faces strong competition from other mixed-reality headsets, such as Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Facebook Horizon. Vision Pro also has a high price point, which could limit its appeal and adoption among consumers. By giving its employees a discount on Vision Pro, Apple could be hoping to create a loyal and enthusiastic user base, who could then spread the word and influence others to buy the device. Apple could also benefit from the feedback and insights from its employees, who could help improve the device and its software over time.
Employee Incentives
A third possible reason for Apple’s decision to give its employees a discount on Vision Pro is that it is a way to reward and motivate its employees, who have been working hard and facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple has been one of the most successful and profitable companies in the world, and it owes much of its success to its talented and dedicated employees. Apple has also been known for its generous employee benefits, such as health insurance, stock options, education reimbursement, and fitness programs. By giving its employees a discount on Vision Pro, Apple could be showing its appreciation and gratitude for its employees, as well as encouraging them to stay with the company and continue to innovate and create amazing products.
