I’m writing this on the Apple Vision Pro, with a supersized image of my MacBook desktop in front of me that is far larger than my work display, the Slack app pinned to the left of my desk and the Apple Music app pinned to the right. I’m listening to The Bravery’s “Believe” and believe it’s suitable. Because Apple wants early adopters to believe enough in spatial computing to pay $3,500.
Now that I’ve been using the Vision Pro for a few weeks and tried out all of the greatest Vision Pro applications and experiences, I can say it still feels as amazing as when I first tried it. However, this is a technology that eventually weighs on you, both physically and figuratively. Who is the Vision Pro intended for, and is it worth the premium? Here are six reasons to buy the Vision Pro and three to avoid it.
REASONS TO BUY APPLE VISION PRO
The eye-tracking interface and hand gestures are amazingly intuitive
One of the nicest features of the Vision Pro is VisionOS and how you interact with it. There are no controllers to deal with here. You just gaze at the app, website, or other object you wish to pick while tapping your fingers together. It’s interesting merely to see the iOS-style app icons light up as you move your gaze over the Vision Pro’s display. Yes, it just works.
The other movements are equally obvious. If you want to scroll sideways or up and down, simply bring your fingers together and pull in the desired direction. Do you want to zoom in on a photo in the Photos app? Simply bring your two hands together, then spread them apart. If you wish to access the Control Panel at any moment, simply glance up and pick the downward facing arrow.
It’s a little detail, but the fact that you can use the Digital Crown to change both the amount of immersion in your environment and the loudness based on where you gaze is quite ingenious.
Spatial computing takes multitasking to the next level
Here’s everything you should know about the Vision Pro. Yes, it functions as both an augmented reality and virtual reality headgear, but it is first and foremost a spatial computer. And it means multitasking like you’ve never seen or done before.
The Vision Pro allows you to pin numerous apps around the room and effortlessly move and resize them. If you take the headset off, the Vision Pro will remember where you left the applications when you put it back on.
It gets better: VisionOS allows you to simply cut and paste between apps, as well as drag and drop information from the Photos app into Messages.
Awesome movie experience — especially in 3D — and Immersive video
I have a confession. I despise viewing 3D movies in cinemas because the effects are often cheap and unconvincing. However, watching 3D movies with the Vision Pro looks and feels different from anything I’ve tried previously. The Apple TV program has over 200 movies, while Disney Plus includes over 40 3D movies.
I rewatched Avengers: Infinity War in 3D on Disney Plus with the Vision Pro, and it seemed like I was seeing it for the first time. Captain America hugged Bucky (The Winter Soldier) before Wakanda was attacked, demonstrating an incredible amount of character depth without being overly obvious.
Immersive video is the next frontier, putting you front and center in a new 3D format with a 180-degree field of view shot by 8K cameras. I astonished as I saw a woman in front of me walk a tightrope between two mountains 3,000 feet above the ground.
Impressive spatial photos and videos (and panoramas)
Spatial films and photographs are not exclusive to the Vision Pro, but this is the device that will put them on the map. It’s no accident that Meta has announced that the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro will now allow spatial photographs and videos.
The Vision Pro can record both 3D photographs and films that can be played back in the headset, as well as spatial videos captured with your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max and seen in the Vision Pro. The result is rather captivating. Watching a spatial video of my golden dog made me want to reach out and pet him. I assure you’ll become emotional when using this features.
Works with your MacBook like frickin’ magic
The Vision Pro is significantly more beneficial if you possess one of the finest MacBooks rather than a Windows laptop. That’s because Apple’s headgear, which has the Mac Virtual Display function, works perfectly with your MacBook Pro or Air. Simply look at your MacBook and you’ll notice a Connect button floating above the screen. Tap connect, and your desktop will appear in your virtual world rather than on your laptop.
From there, you may resize your desktop to achieve a crisp 4K image. Even better, you may utilize this desktop as you usually would, with keyboard and mouse capabilities.
Compelling AR apps and experiences
So far, the Apple Vision Pro includes over 600 native apps and over a million compatible iPhone and iPad apps. Some of the finest Vision Pro applications to date include augmented reality experiences and games like Encounter Dinosaurs, in which a dinosaur follows your sight and physically pops through the adjacent wall to smell you.
I’ve also had a terrific time playing Synth Riders, a music and rhythm game in which you smash colorful balls of light to the beat, and What the Golf?, which creates a small golf course in your room and allows you to walk around it while keeping high quality. The djay app is equally appealing, allowing you to interact with a 3D turntable and execute different DJ effects.
REASONS TO SKIP APPLE VISION PRO
The battery is ALWAYS with you
The Vision Pro seems like the future, but the accompanying battery feels like a throwback to the past. While other VR and AR headsets have built-in batteries, the Vision Pro requires an additional battery, which must constantly be attached.
This battery is heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the connection isn’t as long, but you can still use the Vision Pro with the battery in your pocket. When you’re at your workstation, you may charge the battery with the provided 30W power adapter.
It’s kinda heavy
There’s no denying that the Vision Pro is heavy. It weighs between 1.3 and 1.4 pounds more than the Meta Quest 3, and it can get unpleasant to wear after around 30 minutes.
The good news is that you receive two included headbands: the Solo Knit band and the Dual Loop band, with the latter being a far superior choice for appropriately dispersing weight around your head. I can use the Vision Pro for several hours without pain with that band, however there is still some pressure.
Very expensive (not counting accessories!)
The Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,500, which is comparable to the very expensive 77-inch LG G3 OLED TV. But that is the beginning price.
If you wish to utilize Zeiss lenses with the Vision Pro, the cost is $99 for readers and $149 for a prescription. The carrying case, which like a large marshmallow, costs an extra $199. If you’re concerned about the Vision Pro’s longevity, the Apple Care+ package costs $499 and includes unlimited repairs and damage protection.
Personas are creepy (for now)
Some big missing apps like Netflix and YouTube
For the time being, the Apple Vision Pro lacks some of the most popular native apps. This includes Netflix and YouTube. There are no iPad-compatible versions of these apps, either. Personally, I’d want to see all of Google’s apps here, particularly Google Drive and Google Meet, so I can utilize my Persona during video conferences with the rest of my team.
The good news is that YouTube promises a native Vision Pro app is on the way, so it might very well be under development today.
Conclusion !
The Apple Vision Pro goes into great depth on how to utilize this spatial computer. However, if I had to summarize the Vision Pro in a few words, I would say it is amazing, immersive, and expensive.
At $3,500, this is a difficult sell for most, but I believe the Vision Pro is the greatest mixed reality headset by far and may be worth the extra cost for multitasking power users, business travelers, and early adopters.
Even if you can’t afford one, you owe it to yourself to experience the Vision Pro in an Apple Store to see what the future of computing looks like. Just be cautious not to cross the street while wearing it.
