Apple Releases Vision Pro: A New Way to Experience Augmented Reality
Apple has finally revealed its highly anticipated “mixed reality” headset, the Vision Pro, this week. The headset is being marketed as a device that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world. The device, which packs 23 million pixels onto two tiny screens, is priced at $3,499, which is seven times the price of the upcoming Meta Quest 3 headset.
The Vision Pro is a virtual reality headset that is designed to give users the feeling that they are in the real world. The device uses advanced imaging technologies to create a high-definition representation of the user’s surroundings, which is then overlaid with digital graphics. This technique, known as augmented reality, has been a primary focus for Apple over the last several years.
The metaverse, a virtual world where people come together as avatars to play, work, and socialize, was trendy not too long ago. Companies from Microsoft to Facebook have proudly introduced headphones. However, despite the hype from executives, it seems that the concept hasn’t caught on among consumers.
The Vision Pro may change that. Even at its current price point, the device may appeal to early adopters and tech enthusiasts looking for a novel way to experience augmented reality.
The Design and Feel of the Vision Pro
Apple has been working on virtual and augmented reality for seven years, and the Vision Pro is the company’s most ambitious foray into the space to date. The headset comes in a sleek white design and is made of lightweight materials for a comfortable fit. The unique feature of this device is that it’s designed to look like a pair of glasses. The headset is plugged into a separate battery, and the images are rendered by two Apple chips.
The headset is incredibly light, weighing in at just 320 grams. It’s comfortable to use for extended periods, which is a significant factor considering how disorienting virtual and augmented reality can be. One of the issues with VR is that the technology has been inadequate. Instead of being seamlessly transported to a digital utopia, headset wearers felt uncomfortable, disoriented, and sometimes nauseous.
The Tech Specs
The Vision Pro is equipped with 23 million pixels, making it one of the highest resolution XR headsets in the market. Apple’s custom-designed LCP lenses work together with the display to create a high-quality image that is sharper and brighter than ever before.
The device also includes a sophisticated 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) tracking system that allows users to move around in the virtual or augmented environment freely. The headset includes four outward-facing cameras that track the user’s movement and position in the real world.
The Pricing
At $3,499, the Vision Pro is expensive, considering the upcoming Meta Quest 3 headset is priced at just $499. However, the Vision Pro is targeted towards a different user base, one that’s willing to pay a premium for a high-quality virtual or augmented reality experience.
The Design Challenges
Apple is known for its beautiful designs and technology that’s easy to use. However, with the Vision Pro, it seems Apple has faced certain design challenges. The headset is bulky and looks a bit odd when worn. It’s not the sleek and stylish design that Apple is known for. The device also requires a separate battery, which can be a hassle for users who want the freedom to move around without any bulky attachments.
The Future of Augmented Reality and the Metaverse
While the idea of a virtual world where people can come together in the form of avatars to play, work, and socialize seemed like the future, it hasn’t caught on among consumers. Despite Facebook’s rebranded name to Meta, companies from Microsoft to Sony have proudly introduced headphones, the concept remains unconvincing, aside from gaming.
Apple’s Vision Pro has taken a different approach. The device is more focused on creating a real-world experience overlaid with digital graphics. This approach has more potential for mass appeal, as users don’t feel as disconnected from reality as they would with a fully virtual experience.
Moreover, Apple isn’t necessarily set to dominate augmented reality. By the time an affordable Vision arrives, others will have had time to adjust. However, Apple has a habit of defining technologies, from the Macintosh to the iPhone.
The Verdict
Apple’s Vision Pro is a fascinating device that aims to bring augmented reality to the masses. It’s expensive, but it’s also one of the most advanced mixed reality headsets on the market. While it may not be perfect, it’s an impressive first attempt, and the future looks bright for innovative VR and AR technology.
Summary
Apple has released its much-anticipated “mixed reality” headset, the Vision Pro, with a price tag of $3,499. The headset aims to create a high-definition representation of the user’s surroundings overlaid with digital graphics, using advanced imaging technologies. While the idea of a virtual world where people can come together seemed like the future, the concept hasn’t caught on among consumers. Instead, Apple is focusing on creating a real-world experience overlaid with digital graphics. The Vision Pro is an impressive first attempt, and the future looks bright for innovative VR and AR technology.
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Apple finally revealed the $3,499 Vision Pro, its much-anticipated “mixed reality” headset, this week. It evoked many descriptions — a “space computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world,” a “personal cinema with a screen that feels like 100 feet wide” — but one word was conspicuously missing: “metaverse.”
The metaverse, a virtual world where people came together as avatars to play, work, and socialize, was all the rage not too long ago. Facebook renamed itself Meta in 2021, and companies from Microsoft to Sony have proudly introduced headphones. But the vision that wowed executives came with a splash among consumers.
“This is for you, the believers. . . the people who’d rather be early than late in fashion,” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, said with a touch of sarcasm last year, introducing his professional headset Meta Quest Pro. At the right time, Apple is arrived late to the party this week with a disdainful eye on early arrivals.
Apple took its time. Was working on virtual and augmented reality for seven years, and the Vision Pro still lacks some of the design elegance it’s known for: the headset is plugged into a separate battery. Yet those who briefly tried it were hit by the high definition clarity of his images and the thinking behind them.
“You know there is a screen in front of you, but it feels very real. I’ve never had that feeling before,” Francisco Jeronimo, analyst at IDC Europe, told me. Leo Gebbie, from CCS Insight, said he’s tried dozens of headphones over the years and “I can safely say this is the best experience he’s ever had.”
Apple didn’t let simple money get in the way. At seven times the price of the upcoming Meta Quest 3 headset, which is meant to do some of the same things, Vision Pro is downright expensive. It packs 23 million pixels onto two tiny screens, viewed through custom lenses, with photos and videos rendered by two Apple chips.
It sounds like overkill, but one of the problems with VR is that the technology has been inadequate. Instead of being seamlessly transported to a digital utopia, headset wearers felt uncomfortable, disoriented, and sometimes nauseous. They also looked ridiculous and were cut off from their surroundings.
Not being in California for the launch this week, I instead dropped by East London’s Otherworld, billed as “the world’s most immersive VR experience.” There, I put on an HTC Vive Pro headset, held two controllers, and hopped onto a pod to play various games, including Fruit ninjason an island metaverse.
Others were enjoying themselves, but my main feelings after half an hour were of motion sickness and a need to escape outside. Apple has tried to overcome the first problem, common among earphones, by making images fast enough that there is no noticeable lag and therefore less nausea.
But there’s a deeper difficulty with VR: the idea of the metaverse itself. No matter how enthusiastic Zuckerberg and others are about turning us into cartoons to spend hours in virtual worlds, it remains unconvincing aside from for games. I’ve never been tempted, and judging by the sales figures, I don’t have many others either.
It’s much more natural to stay in the beautifully lit, high definition world we already inhabit and have digital elements overlaid with technology. That idea, known as augmented reality, is what Apple has been aiming for with Vision Pro, and its presentation made a splash this week by demonstrating how it could work.
The first thing users see after putting on the headset is the room they’re in, rather than a virtual world. The usual array of Apple apps are shown, which they select using eye and hand movements and which open into screen-like displays. Even if they are watching a movie, they can see if someone is approaching them.
Indeed, Vision Pro is a deceptive mirror: instead of being an augmented reality device, it is a virtual reality headset pretending to be so. Users see images of the world through high-definition cameras rather than a headset. Apple has not yet completed the technological feat of making true AR glasses.
So while Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, opened his observations stating that “augmented reality is a profound technology”, he also called Vision Pro “the beginning of a journey”. That was probably wise: I won’t be rushing to spend $3,499 on this first attempt at turning an earphone into a must-have technology.
But Apple got one thing this week: It made such a device’s mass appeal plausible. It has unveiled something that is both more familiar and more sophisticated than what has come before, and has made today’s virtual worlds even less appealing. The all-purpose metaverse already seemed financially perilous; now it seems outdated.
Apple isn’t necessarily set to dominate augmented reality; by the time an affordable Vision arrives, others will have had time to adjust. But it has a habit of defining technologies, from the Macintosh to the iPhone. On this week’s test, she still has the knack of being stylishly late.
https://www.ft.com/content/58eb0586-8fd0-40eb-9b4e-2c2a3fb20877
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