In terms of headsets, some argue that Apple has entered the market late, without making an early start. As Meta, Sony, and HTC have been in the market for many years, while their VR devices may not be as refined, high-quality, or influential as Apple's Vision Pro, they undoubtedly have a larger user base. However, even with this, they have not achieved market dominance. The market cultivation period is indeed strong, but user scalability is far from sufficient, which explains why VR, once seen as a new mobile terminal form, is not a rigid demand.

Apple thought the market was well-cultivated and ready for entry, but things didn't turn out as expected. Despite Apple's dedication, even with its advanced technology and quality, user recognition and adoption were lacking. Coupled with the high price, few users can afford it, making large-scale shipments unrealistic. This explains why Vision Pro's performance after its launch has been underwhelming, and Apple has not disclosed shipment and activation rates.

Without a rigid demand in market applications and coupled with excessively high prices, ordinary users are unable to afford it. This is a problem that must be overcome. Therefore, we have seen market reports indicating that Apple's next focus for Vision Pro expansion is to reduce prices.

During the 618 sales promotion in June this year, Apple's iPhone sales on some third-party platforms in the Chinese market were quite good. The main reason was Apple's consecutive price reductions and generous subsidies from merchants. Ultimately, the market is driven by price. When Apple made significant concessions on pricing, consumers compensated for their financial constraints with the most basic actions. This is why the iPhone 15 series has achieved a good sales share.

Can this strategy be directly applied to the Vision Pro market? If Vision Pro's price remains high, who would buy it? It's simply impossible. Therefore, Apple has begun exploring a low-cost transition. Even Apple's well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that Apple's next development strategy for Vision Pro will focus on releasing a lower-priced version.

According to Counterpoint Research's latest report, global VR headset shipments in the first quarter of 2024 declined 29% year-on-year and 51% quarter-on-quarter. Specific shipment figures have not been released, but it indicates a downturn in the entire market. The report cites seasonal impacts after Black Friday in North America and Singles' Day in China as partial reasons for the quarterly decline. Despite the launch of Apple's Vision Pro headset, the global VR headset market remained weak in the first quarter of 2024. Meta's shipments declined, while Sony and Pico faced significant inventory pressures. However, the enterprise VR market showed greater resilience than the consumer market.

The report also shows that global AR smart glasses shipments increased 40% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, but declined 45% quarter-on-quarter. The agency expects North America and China to account for nearly 90% of the global AR smart glasses market share. If the demand in these two markets is insufficient, it