Apple Vision Pro headset
US customers have the option to pre-order the $3,499 (£2,749) mixed reality device from mid-January. A UK release date has not yet been set.
After years of rumors during development, the company announced the device in June 2023.
This is the first major new product released by the company since the Apple Watch was launched in 2015.
But we are already facing some problems. According to the Financial Times, Apple has cut its production forecast by more than half, from an estimated 1 million units in 2024 to 400,000 units.
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Apple Vision Pro: Massive Launch
Apple Vision Pro headset Imagination
Along with the launch date, Apple also announced that the device will feature 256GB of storage and that the headset’s eye-tracking technology can work by monitoring only one dominant eye for those who cannot fully see both eyes. Cannot use.
But interestingly, the company is trying to differentiate its headset from other devices on the market and is asking developers of its devices to brand their apps as “spatial computing” instead.
“Do not describe your app’s experience as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (XR), or mixed reality (MR),” the company said in a blog post for developers.
Apple also released a trailer online that shows the film’s characters wearing glasses and helmets, which seems to be an attempt to recreate the hype surrounding the release of the iPhone in 2007.
Apple Vision Pro headsets are expensive.
If successful, it could be a new source of billions of dollars in revenue for Apple.
However, with many people around the world struggling to afford basic necessities, the high price means it is likely to remain in the realm of toys for the rich.
Another tech giant, Meta, has opted for a lower-priced headset as a big bet on the still-emerging virtual reality and mixed reality headset markets.
The Quest 3 is priced at $499 in the US and £479 in the UK.
Despite its low price, it has struggled to gain mass market appeal.
There are also ongoing issues with the convenience of using the device, especially for long periods of time, which may prevent the device from becoming mainstream.
Apple vision pro headset review
The BBC got a chance to try out Vision Pro last June and found mixed reality.
We were one of the few news organizations in the world allowed to test the device, but we were not allowed to take any photos or film.
Unlike many current headsets, Apple has removed the battery, so it won’t be a burden on your head. However, the battery must be connected to a cable and placed next to the user.
The user experience is classic, minimal Apple. When you turn on the headset, you can see the room around you, but instead of looking through glass, you’re looking at multiple on-board cameras.
It’s a “mixed reality” experience, or digital content projected onto your surroundings.
Physically pressing a button in the upper right corner of the headset pops up app icons that are familiar to anyone who has used an iPhone, such as iMessage, Photos, Apple TV, etc. (and more has been planned). ,
And everything after that is gesture control. The headset tracks where you’re looking, so if you’re looking at an app and press your thumb and index finger together, the app will open.
You can choose your level of immersion by using a physical dial to increase or decrease the size of what you’re seeing. It can fill an entire room or be displayed like a wall-mounted TV screen.
But in real life, if someone is walking in front of you, you can see him no matter how immersed you are.
Still, every time we encountered a problem with the demo, Apple employees would remind us that this was not a finished product. Apple also prohibited filming during the demo, so these issues could not be recorded or shared online.
The first thing you’ll notice about Apple’s Vision Pro headset is that it’s as comfortable as wearing giant ski goggles on your face.
I was one of the first people in the world to try out the highly anticipated and very expensive new mixed reality headset after it went on sale in California on Monday.
Unlike many current headsets, Apple removed the battery so it wouldn’t be a burden on your head. However, the battery must be tied to a cable and placed next to the user.
The user experience is classic, minimal Apple. When you turn on the headset, you can see the room around you, but instead of looking through glass, you’re looking at multiple on-board cameras. This is important for “mixed reality” experiences, which are digital content projected onto your environment.
When you physically press a button in the upper right corner of the glasses, app icons familiar to anyone who has used an iPhone will pop up, including iMessage, Photos, Apple TV, and more (developer also created by) (planned to increase).
And everything after that is gesture control. The headset tracks where you’re looking, so if you look at an app and press your thumb and index finger together, the app opens.
Apple surprised me with several demos. The floor-to-ceiling photo gallery was impressive to behold. However, these photos were clearly chosen with great care and were beautifully photographed.
You can record 3D videos using your headset’s camera. I watched my child blow out the birthday candles on the cake, so close I could feel his breathing.
I had a live video call with another Apple employee, also wearing the headset. This was not a real video, but a photo-realistic avatar. I’ve never met him in person, so I don’t know what he really looks like, but there was something strange about the smoothness of his skin and the narrowness of his eyes when he smiled or frowned.
They watched movie clips on a giant virtual screen in a digitally darkened room similar to a movie theater. A giant 3D Tyrannosaurus dinosaur smacked my face. During mindfulness meditation, I saw digital flower petals fluttering around the room.
You can choose your level of immersion by using a physical dial to increase or decrease the size of what you’re seeing. It can fill an entire room or be displayed like a wall-mounted TV screen.
If someone is walking in front of you in real life, you can see them, no matter how immersed you are.
I was having difficulty responding to text messages on the digital keyboard facing me. “Please note that this is not a finished product!” Every time I said something less than stellar, I got an enthusiastic response.
Unfortunately, I can’t show it to you because everyone there was banned from recording. Remarkably, no one at Apple actually wore the Vision Pro. Not even company chairman Tim Cook or Disney CEO Bob Iger, who described the device as “real-life magic,”
As a technology journalist, I’ve tried many virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality headsets, and this was one of the best. And given the launch price of $3,499 (£2,899), you’d hope so.
It will likely be the most expensive headset on the market when it launches next year. Bloomberg reported that Apple expected to move 900,000 units in its first year of sales.
So who will buy the Apple Vision Pro headset?
I think Apple has a very smart marketing strategy, but I don’t know if it will work. Traditionally, mixed-reality headsets have been targeted at gamers, promising big, extraordinary moments. Defeat monsters the size of houses! Become a rock star on the Wembley Stadium stage!
Apple said little about games. The message here was much more than that. Everything you do on your phone is done against the big, bright backdrop of your own home.
There was much speculation that the announcement of the Apple Vision Pro would be an “iPhone moment,” a revolutionary move from Apple, just as the iPhone changed the smartphone world forever.
But what if the Apple Vision Pro headset is actually the new iPhone?
Apple is keen to bring it into the mainstream by making it a useful everyday kit rather than an occasional thrill.
I don’t know if this will work or not. Apple has its own magic, and its customer base is very loyal. People who like a brand really like that brand. But hardware has long been a hurdle in VR.
Wearing a headset for a long time doesn’t feel very good. Many people experience nausea (I did too, but it didn’t on Monday, although my demo was only 15 minutes long and each section took a few minutes).
How new is the Apple Vision Pro headset?
I can say with confidence that, although it was a great experience, I’m not sure I’ll want to smell a virtual dinosaur again in the near future.
Now, it’s clear that $3,499 is not the price of a new product. I remember last year’s triumph when Facebook owner Meta announced that the Quest Pro headset would cost less than half the price, about $1,500 (it has since dropped to $999).
Of course, the research and development that goes into creating a first-generation product takes years of money. But what if you use it every day?
A friend of mine who works in the fashion industry says you should spend the most money on the clothes you wear most often.
So if you spend £100 on a dress and wear it once, that one dress is worth £100. But even if you wear it 100 times, it will still only cost £1 each time.
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Perhaps Apple is betting that if it can make the headset useful enough, people will be more likely to consider it. It requires a lot of content and a lot of developers to implement it.
But if you like Apple, like mixed reality, and have the money, you’ll probably love this headset.
If smart phones replace smartphones in five years, our avatars will likely be able to FaceTime each other and have conversations over smartphones.
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