Apple takes store down ahead of Apple Vision Pro pre-orders

As ever on the day of a major release, Apple has taken down the online Apple Store — at least in the US — and will reopen later for the start of Apple Vision Pro orders.

It's routine for Apple to take down its store, it does the same thing with every iPhone launch for instance, but it is unusual that it's confined only to the US. The reason is that Apple Vision Pro is solely launching in the States, so for once no other version of the store will feature it.

When the store re-opens at 5 a.m. Pacific, 8 a.m. Eastern, it will also be unusual in how involved the pre-order process is. Since Apple Vision Pro has to be adjusted for different head sizes, and optionally also for prescription lenses, pre-ordering will take two steps.

The first is the regular placing of an order — though Apple's recommendations include how buyers will have to have the latest version of the Apple Store iOS app installed — and then a separate stage to do with the lenses. Users with corrective lenses will have to upload details of their prescriptions.

Separating out the pre-order into these two parts presumably means that buyers won't be delayed selecting what options there are, such as storage. Any delay in pre-ordering a new Apple device tends to increase the likelihood of it being fulfilled later than launch day, but this is especially true with the Apple Vision Pro.

It's reported that Apple has been preparing only comparatively few Vision Pro headsets — rather than the millions of iPhones it usually does — so it's expected that the online pre-order stock will sell out quickly.