Apple May Face Challenges Selling Vision Pro Headset In China
The Apple Vision Pro headset is set to hit the market in early 2022, but the company is facing hurdles in one of its key markets. Reports suggest that the product will need to be rebranded in order to be sold in China, as Huawei currently owns the trademark for the name Vision Pro in the region.
The Vision Pro brand can only be used by Huawei in China, which means Apple will have to find another name to sell the mixed reality headset or find some kind of legal agreement with Huawei to sell the device as Vision Pro in the country.
The details of the trademark were first spotted by MyDrivers, who claim that Huawei signed the name and got the trademark to use the Vision Pro from November 2021 to November 2031.
According to reports, Huawei has already used the Vision brand to sell smart TVs and smart glasses in the region. So, in order for Apple to launch its Vision Pro headset in China, it will have to agree to a financial deal with Huawei, which likely won’t come cheap.
Such offers are not new to Apple, as the company previously managed to obtain a license to use the iPad name in China, reportedly paying $60 million to a company called Proview Technology to make it happen. Huawei is definitely the bigger name in China, and it’s unlikely that the company will give Apple the rights to sell its mixed reality headset under the original name.
Apple plans to launch the Vision Pro headset in its home market first, and then by the end of next year it may have China on the list, where the mixed reality headset could make its debut if all goes according to plan. Apple’s XR headset is priced at $3,500, has around 12 cameras under the hood, and runs on the M2 chipset.
