(Yicai) Dec. 10 -- Sales of the Apple Vision Pro have fallen short of expectations mainly due to the high price of the mixed reality headset, which starts at USD3,499, according to several Chinese experts.

The Vision Pro's sales have not been as expected this year, with a higher return rate and inventory than most other consumer electronics in the US market, Qiu Yubin, senior vice president of research at Chinese consultancy TrendForce, said to Yicai.

Apple sold less than 500,000 units of its first headset since it hit the market in February, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.

Before the Vision Pro's release, expectations for annual sales were between 900,000 and 1 million units, Qiu pointed out. Apple wanted to optimize the product's price, but despite improvements, the cost was still relatively high and it was impossible to cut the price to USD2,000, he noted.

There are many reasons why sales of the Vision Pro fell short of expectations, Chen Xuecheng, an analyst at Beijing-based Sigmaintell Consulting, said to Yicai. In addition to the price, there is a lack of innovative and attractive apps for headsets, while users need time to embrace new interaction models and real-world use cases, Chen added.

Apple's second Vision Pro model is unlikely to launch before 2026, according to Qiu. The next generation of headsets will develop in the high-end and entry-level directions, with the former having the chance to replace laptops in the future, he noted.

Apple's Vision Pro used Sony Group's Micro organic light-emitting diode display, but the related sector in China is developing. If Chinese Micro OLED display makers can improve their technology and reduce costs, they can become Apple's new suppliers, according to experts.

Chinese Micro OLED screen producers can benchmark against Sony, matching top manufacturers in technology while differentiating in cost, Qiu pointed out.

Due to the high cost affecting the popularity of Vision Pro, Apple will likely reassess its suppliers, Qiu said. Compared to the original plan, if the screen achieves 80 to 90 percent of performance and cuts costs by 30 percent, there is a chance of being selected, he added.

Editor: Martin Kadiev