'Apple Vision Pro, Sold at a Premium'... Macros Even Apple Can't Stop

Resale Demand Surges from China and Others
Resellers Post Reservation Confirmations on First Official Sale Day, Offering High Premiums
Apple's Purchase Restriction Macro Bypassed... Initial Demand Possibly Overstated
NYT Gives Negative Review, Calling It Expensive and Inconvenient

Apple's mixed reality (MR) device 'Vision Pro,' which will be officially sold next month, is seeing resale prices soar. The resale price in China has risen to more than twice the normal selling price in the United States. However, there are counterarguments that it is uncertain whether this phenomenon will continue.

A resale post including Apple Vision Pro pre-order confirmation was posted on eBay USA.

On the 25th, multiple Vision Pro resale listings appeared on the Chinese secondhand goods trading platform Xianyu. Sellers are stating that they will sell for more than twice the US selling price of $3,499. Some sellers are even offering to sell for 100,000 yuan, approximately 18 million Korean won. Vision Pro can only be purchased in the United States.

Vision Pro began pre-orders in the US on the 19th (local time) at $3,499 (excluding tax). Immediately after pre-orders started, all units available for pickup at Apple Stores on the official sales launch day, February 2, were sold out.

Many Vision Pro resales are also taking place on eBay. One seller started an auction stating that they bought two units in New York on the launch day, would keep one for themselves, and ship the other to France the next day. The auction, which started at $3,499, has already reached a bid of 4,080 euros, about 5.9 million Korean won.

Additionally, many people are emphasizing photos verifying their pre-order pickups on the official sales launch day and are attempting to resell with a premium of at least $1,000.

It is rare for Apple products to enter the resale market with such a high 'premium' immediately after release. Analysts believe this is because many are paying attention to Vision Pro as a completely new Apple product that has appeared after a long time.

Whether Vision Pro resales will continue to command a premium is uncertain. Apple currently informs that if you order Vision Pro one week after the start of pre-orders, you can receive it after mid-March. The fact that the delivery date has not been significantly delayed compared to the first day of pre-orders may indicate that there is not much demand from late buyers.

The market estimates that about 180,000 units of Vision Pro have been sold. There are also claims that this sales volume may have been exaggerated by resellers. Security firm Kasada released a report stating that Apple failed to limit purchases to one Vision Pro per account. Kasada found that thousands of Vision Pro units were purchased using 'macros.' Kasada estimated that if these Vision Pro units bought via macros were resold with a premium of $2,500 each, it could generate $4 million in revenue.

Negative reviews from those who have experienced Vision Pro cannot be ignored. Brian X. Chen of The New York Times reported on the 24th that he tried Vision Pro, which Apple unveiled in June last year, and said there is no guarantee it will become a revolutionary hit product due to its high price.

He stated that he had used various VR headsets from Google, Meta, Samsung, Sony, and others, and while he was deeply impressed by Vision Pro's photo quality, he was not sure whether consumers would want to wear it.

A netizen posted a satirical post about the weight of the Vision Pro on Twitter.

Chen especially pointed out Vision Pro's weight and usage time. He said his neck hurt after just 30 minutes of use. Vision Pro weighs about 600 to 650 grams. He also criticized the battery life of 2 hours as insufficient even to watch a feature-length movie.

IT specialist media Mashable predicted that the emergence of a 'killer app' that can leverage Vision Pro's strengths will determine the future direction of Vision Pro sales.