Eighteen minutes after Apple began taking pre-orders for the newApple Vision Pro headset, stocks were sold out and shipping dates began slipping back — ultimately by months.

It's not as if Apple is going to stop anyone ordering an Apple Vision Pro, but anybody trying now is going to wait to get it. Buyers who got in as soon as pre-orders were opened at 5 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Eastern) will get their headsets on February 2, 2024, but almost instantly, that shipping date began slipping back.

After two hours of pre-orders, shipping dates for Apple Vision Pro were being listed as into March and in some cases even April.

This will be presented as a success for Apple and a presumption that the Vision Pro is an immediate hit. That may yet be true, but it can't be assessed yet because there is also the factor that Apple is believed to have made only a small production run.

There are conflicting reports over just how small it is. Reports from China's supply chainestimate 400,000 units, but analystMing-Chi Kuo believes Apple hasmade only between 60,000 and 80,000 headsets. What appears to be certain, though, is that Apple has unquestionably made dramatically fewer Vision Pro headsets than it would for a newiPhone, for instance.

With a new iPhone, Apple also arranges separate stock for its retail stores. So it is likely — though not certain — that anyone missing out on the online pre-order may be able to pick up an Apple Vision Pro at a physical Apple Store on February 2, 2024.

US Apple Stores will at least begiving demonstrations of the Apple Vision Pro from that date.