This is what will happen when you test the Vision Pro at a U.S. Apple Store

Getting consumers to buy the Vision Pro is much different than getting them to purchase an iPhone, for example. Pre-orders of the $3,499 spatial computer start this Friday and the most complex device Apple has built to date will be released on February 2nd. Buying one is not as easy as walking into an Apple Store and taking a box off of the shelf. Potential buyers need to choose between bands and Apple needs to determine which Light Seal will fit, and don't forget the availability of prescription lenses for the headset.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains the process in the latest edition of "Power On," his weekly newsletter. While the iPhone practically sold itself when launched in 2007, the prohibitive price of the Vision Pro and the product itself requires Apple to use a different sales pitch. So it created a 25-minute video that Gurman characterizes as "sophisticated" and recently hosted hundreds of Apple Store employees for intensive training on how to sell the Vision Pro.

Vision Pro pre-orders begin online on January 19th at 5 am PST/8 am EST.  Demos at U.S. Apple Stores will begin on February 2nd starting at 8 am local time. The largest Apple Store locations will each have more than a dozen demo units and areas of these stores will be held aside for presentations of the device. When a demo starts, with a process similar to how an iPhone user sets up Face ID, an Apple Store worker will scan a customer's face using an app. 

The results of the scan will help store employees select the right-sized light seal to use. The latter is used to keep outside light from leaking in and with 25 different shapes and sizes, the scan is obviously a very important part of getting a great fit for the headset. Other variables that will be discovered during the demo process are which foam cushion and band size the Apple Store customer needs. The cushions are offered in two different sizes.

So what happens if a potential Vision Pro buyer wears glasses? Each U.S. Apple Store will have a machine that scans lenses for prescription information and each store will have a large selection of lenses available for demos. With all of the customizable data in hand, someone in the back of the Apple Store puts together the demo unit using the proper accessories. With the demo unit ready to be used, the Apple Store employee explains how the Vision Pro works.

While the customer is wearing the headset and taking the spatial computer "for a spin," the Apple Store employee has an iPad that shows him/her exactly what the customer sees through the headset. But before that happens, the customer is allowed to place the headset on his own head (after all, despite the product's price, it doesn't come with an Apple Store employee who shadows you everywhere), and the device is calibrated. Once that occurs, the 25-minute demo is played.

During the demo, customers are shown photos including 3D photos and videos (which Apple calls spatial images). Next, the customer is shown how the Vision Pro can work as a replacement for an iPad, how to create multiple app windows, and scroll through webpages on Safari. Next, the Vision Pro plays 3D and immersive movies. In one clip, the user is made to feel as though he is walking on a tightrope. The Vision Pro units used in a demo will be pre-loaded with some third-party apps.

The goal is to make those Apple Store customers sitting through the demo want more. Besides the demo units, each Apple Store will have a table with two to four Vision Pro spatial computers on display. Those looking to buy the product online will have access to the face scan system. The device is then put together and shipped.

To make sure that product reviewers know what they are doing before slapping a review on the device, they must meet with Apple for two in-person sessions. Once that takes place, a review unit can be shipped.

According to Gurman, Apple expects strong demand for the Vision Pro once it is released with purchases dropping off afterward. As a result, Apple has told U.S. Apple Stores to make room for twice the normal amount of Vision Pro inventory during the opening weekend.