pple is officially taking on the metaverse. After years of speculation, the company unveiled Apple Vision Pro at WWDC — and our reporter at the event was suitably impressed when he got the first hands-on in the world.
But it won’t come cheap. It’ll set eager consumers back a massive $3,499 when it goes on sale next year.
What does that mean for UK pricing? Ultimately, it doesn’t mean anything: Apple Vision Pro is currently only slated for release in the US, and there’s no guarantee it will ever arrive this side of the Atlantic.
But if it does, there are a few ways that $3,499 could convert into pound sterling, with some more generous than others.
Apple Vision Pro price: How much should it cost?
Let’s get a baseline figure here. Apple Vision Pro will cost $3,499 in the United States, and as a straight currency conversion puts that at £2,816.98 at the time of writing.
But remember that US pricing doesn’t include sales tax, which varies from state to state, going from zero per cent in the likes of Montana and Oregon all the way up to 7.25 per cent in California, where Apple is actually based.
With our current 20 per cent VAT rate, that would add an extra £563.40 for a grand total of £3,380.38. Let’s call it £3,399.99 for a more Apple-like figure.
Apple Vision Pro price: The pessimistic take
So that’s our baseline price, but there are reasons to think it could be even more expensive than that.
In short, Apple tends to be more generous with its US pricing than its UK equivalent. Take the iPhone 14 Pro Max, for example. In the UK, the handset starts at £1,199, but in the USA it’s $1,099.99 — or around £885.
A more stark pricing discrepancy was revealed last night with the Mac Pro — the top-end desktop that makes Vision Pro look positively cheap. In the US, it starts at $6,999 — or around £5,640. But on Apple’s British store, it comes in at £7,199.
No, Apple isn’t the only tech brand to hit Brits with unfair currency conversions, but looking through this lens, it’s possible that Apple Vision Pro could have an even higher £ figure — something in the £3,599 to £3,799 range doesn’t seem impossible.
Apple Vision Pro UK price: The optimistic take
There is a way that Apple Vision Pro could be significantly cheaper in the UK… but it’s not a particularly happy one.
As mentioned above, the headset hasn’t had confirmation of a UK release but, if it does, it could come months or even years after American consumers have had a go.
Given tech prices only go in one direction, it’s possible that, by the time it reaches the UK, the price of components will have come down enough to give us Brits a comparative bargain.
That said, even that’s relative. This will never be cheap hardware — but if we do have to wait a year or so, you never know: we could be looking at something in the £2,799 to £3,000 range after all.
