Apple Vision Pro's Global Expansion: CEO Tim Cook Confirms China Launch Amid Trademark Battles

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed the release of the Apple Vision Pro in mainland China during the China Development Forum in Beijing.

Apple Vision Pro Expands Global Reach: China Launch Confirmed by CEO Tim Cook

According to state media (via Reuters), Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on Sunday that the Apple Vision Pro will be available in mainland China this year.

According to CCTV Finance's Weibo social account, Cook revealed the headset's China launch plans in response to a media question on the sidelines of the China Development Forum in Beijing. Apple will continue to increase its R&D investment in China, he said.

Cook visited Apple's new Shanghai store, Jing'an, earlier this week. This is the first explicit confirmation that the Vision Pro will be available this year in a country other than the United States.

Apple says the Vision Pro will be available in more countries later in 2024, but the company has not provided a specific timeframe or indicated where the headset will be available until now.

In February, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the Vision Pro would be released internationally before Apple's annual developers conference, WWDC, which is typically held in the first week of June.

Huawei's Response: Trademark Battles and Plans for Vision Pro Competitor

Meanwhile, records at the China National Intellectual Property Administration's Trademark Office show that Huawei, headquartered in Shenzhen, registered the "Vision Pro" trademark in China in 2021. This trademark encompasses various products and services, including virtual reality (VR) headsets and wearable video displays.

Huawei holds exclusive rights to the name "Vision Pro" in the country until November 2031. The South China Morning Post reports that, according to CNIPA, the US tech giant applied for trademark rights to the "Vision Pro" brand last year and is currently in the "refusal to re-examine" stage. Apple also trademarked the "Apple Vision Pro" brand last June, an application that is still under investigation.

Huawei introduced its first intelligent eyewear device, "Vision Glass," in December 2022, and the company has expanded its product line to include smart TV screens under the Vision brand.

After Apple launched the Vision Pro in the US in February, local media reported Huawei's plans to unveil similar headsets. Li Nan, a former marketing director at Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu, shared a Weibo post outlining a potential design for the Huawei Vision headset.

According to Li's Weibo post, Huawei's new VR headset may be powered by an in-house-developed chip. Late last year, Huawei unveiled its 5G-capable Mate 60 series, featuring the powerful domestic Kirin 9000S chip, which Chinese netizens celebrated as a symbol of China's resilience against stringent US sanctions.

Li also mentioned that Huawei's headset could weigh as little as 350 grams, nearly half the weight of Apple's Vision Pro. Additionally, he speculated that Huawei's headset might be priced at around 15,000 yuan (US$2,090), approximately half the cost of Apple's Vision Pro.

Photo: Roméo A./Unsplash