If you’re an avid follower of the metric system, there’s a good chance you’ve been watching the hype around Apple’s Vision Pro slowly dissipate from afar since it hit American shelves on 2 February 2024. Those imperialists have been walking around with $3,500 tech plastered on their faces and… we’re jealous. Not because of their fascination to measure stuff using Elk, but because we want that $3,500 tech on our own faces.
Thus far, Apple’s been awfully quiet regarding the Vision Pro’s international ambitions and the sort of price it’ll fetch when it does eventually turn up elsewhere. Africantechno has taken matters into its own hands, with plans to bring the Vision Pro to South Africa through two resellers; 180by2 and droneworld.co.za. For a monumental fee, we might add. Hey, first dibs don’t come cheap.
We’re going Pro
Look, we’re not here to debate whether Apple’s highly anticipated first step into the world of augmented reality, sorry, “spatial computing”, is worth the many, many zeroes being fixed onto the price. It certainly doesn’t seem worthy of the base $3,500 pricetag, judging by the reviews coming out of the West’s end, but that isn’t stopping us, or South Africa’s, uh, richer folk, from wanting a go.
After all, you’re paying for Apple’s ridiculous decision to slather its AR headset in glass and aluminium. That, and the external, outward-facing micro-OLED displays (yes, we said outward-facing), M2 and R1 chipsets, million-or-so sensors and two internal micro-OLED displays capable of showing off 23 million pixels. We reckon it’s those doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to pricing.
Read More: Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset could bring the metaverse back to life
Apple’s got three models on offer — 256GB, 512GB and 1TB — and a whole bunch of accessories that’ll help the headset feel more ‘you’. They’ll cost a fair whack, mind you. Don’t pretend we didn’t warn you.
If all you’re after is the basic Vision Pro kit, with a 256GB headset inside and a couple of accessories, you’ll be paying R94,000 for the privilege from droneworld.co.za. The listing is already live, and it promises free shipping nationwide and a seven-day lead time. You’ll be getting hold of a cover (to protect those external OLEDs), a Dual Loop Band, one external battery, a polishing cloth, 1 x 30W USB‑C Power Adapter and 1 x USB‑C Charge Cable (1.5m) to boot.
More to love
At the time of writing, droneworld.co.za doesn’t yet have the 512GB and 1TB models listed, nor any of the accessories available as standalone items. Cast your gaze towards 180by2.co.za and it’s a different story. Sort of.
180by2.co.za’s website is currently only touting the most expensive of the lot, the Vision Pro 1TB, with an asking price of R130,000. It’ll come with all of the same accessories as the R94,000 model up there, with the extra cheddar going toward the extra storage. It’s only available via pre-order for now, with plans to launch officially in April.
Before that happens, it’ll load up the 256- and 512GB models, going for R110,000 and R120,000 respectively. It’s already got a slew of Vision Pro accessories live on the site, like the controversial $200 Vision Pro Travel Case or Zeiss Optical Inserts. These will only launch alongside the headsets in April, with a R0.50 deposit needed to place an order before then.
Here’s a full list of Apple Vision Pro and accessories and their prices from 180by2:
- AVP 1TB – R130,000
- AVP 512GB – R120,000
- AVP 256Gb – R110,000
- Travel Case – R5,100
- Zeiss Optical Inserts – R2,700
- Light Seal – R5,100
- Light Seal Cushion – R900
- Battery Holder – R1,500
- Solo Knit Band – R3,000
- Dual Loop Band – R3,000
- Apple 240W USB-C Charge Cable (2m) – R880
- Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter – R1,180
It’s worth noting that these prices are all subject to change.