Apple finally confirms UK release date and price for Vision Pro headset

Apple announced many new changes to the software of its most popular products including the iPhone at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in California on Monday. There are big changes coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the American tech titan also finally let its loyal British customers know when they’ll be able to buy one of its latest products, the Apple Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro will go on sale in the UK directly from Apple on 12 July with a starting price of £3,499. That’s a steep price that many will find hard to stomach, but it’ll be music to the ears of Apple fans who don't want to import Vision Pro from the US.

Vision Pro is Apple’s virtual reality headset, even though the firm refuses to call it that. It prefers the term ‘spatial computing’ to describe the headset which can display VR experiences such as fullscreen movies and video, but also augmented reality (AR) scenarios such as floating computer windows while you can also see the world around you. It’s all very Minority Report, and all very expensive.

Express.co.uk tech editor Dave Snelling tried out the Vision Pro when it launched and found it a remarkable first try.

“With it strapped to my face I was able to see the physical room I was sat in whilst also viewing emails, videos and other apps that all floated in front of my eyes,” Snelling wrote.

“That ability to remain in your surroundings is thanks to tiny cameras dotted all over the headset so you never feel isolated or at all claustrophobic - that's something that can't be said for some other VR devices.”

The device can even project a virtual image of your eyes onto the front for others to see, which Apple says helps you chat to others with (fake) eye contact and not have to take Vision Pro off.

WWDC kicked off on Monday 10 June and goes until Friday 14 June. It’s a conference where developers of apps and services gather to learn about how Apple is changing iOS for the iPhone as well as iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS for all its other products. Though Apple concentrated on iOS 18 updates, the fact the company announced the Vision Pro for the UK, along with other countries in June and July, shows Apple feels it’s ready to get the device into more people’s hands and onto more people’s faces.

Apple also announced visionOS 2.0, the first major software update for Vision Pro that will come soon as a free software update. It lets you view your photos in a special spatial mode (if the photos were taken on an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max) that gives them more depth. You’ll also be able to play games with others easier, benefit from improved hand gesture controls, and display screens from your Mac in front of you on a larger and higher resolution display.

Apple has even added a train mode, so you can use Vision Pro on the train as well as a plane - it’ll still work out if you’re in a car and not let you use it, presumably for safety reasons.

£3,499 makes the Vision Pro one pricey present, but the company often charges the same in British Pounds for its products as it does in US Dollars. It is a lot to ask for a first generation product that you have to wear on your face. Developers could learn a lot more about the Vision Pro at WWDC though, and Apple could be gearing up to release some innovative new apps for it - hopefully giving it some more utility to justify that sky-high price.