Apple to Host ‘Secretive’ Vision Pro Training Event for Retail Staff

Apple is planning to bring select retail store employees to Cupertino, California in early 2024 to learn about the Vision Pro headset ahead of the device’s launch, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports.

Gurman revealed details about the “product training event” in the latest “Power On” newsletter. Apple apparently recent sent a memo to retail employees asking them to apply for the “secretive” event. Acceptance is dependent on an application and interview process. An extract from the memo reads:

Selected team members will travel and participate in an event in Cupertino, California, at some point in the first months of 2024. Upon returning to their home store, they’ll deliver training and ongoing support to store team members. This is a group opportunity for those who have a deep passion for demonstrating Apple products and teaching others.

Gurman explained that the event seeks to teach employees about the Vision Pro and train them on the complex procedure involved when selling the device to customers. Apple hopes that a couple of members of staff from each retail store in the United States will attend before returning to their local store to teach their colleagues about the Vision Pro.

The rollout of the Vision Pro headset is expected to be the most complicated in Apple’s history. Apple is planning to assemble customers’ Vision Pro headsets in-store, compiling the appropriate headband, light seal, and optional prescription lenses. Flagship retail stores are set to gain dedicated Vision Pro hands-on areas, while other stores will only receive one or two units.

Gurman believes that the memo’s wording indicates that the device will not be ready at the very beginning of the new year. Apple simply says that Vision Pro will launch in “early” 2024.