Apple has been developing on its first augmented reality headset for years, and we finally know what it is: the Apple Vision Pro.
Vision Pro is an augmented reality headset that can run all of your favorite iOS and iPadOS apps, as well as a few of its own, and has some unique capabilities like as 3D picture and video capturing.
It’s also extremely costly, won’t be accessible for months, and will initially be offered exclusively in the United States.
Everything you need to know about Vision Pro is right here.
When will the Apple Vision Pro go on sale?
Apple debuted the Vison Pro headset at its WWDC 2023 conference, dedicating more than 45 minutes to a detailed unveiling of the hardware.
Don’t expect to be able to buy one anytime soon: the headset won’t be available until early 2024.
Even so, it will initially be accessible only in the United States and through official Apple shops.
The corporation merely claims that more nations will follow “later next year,” without specifying when or where.
How much will the Vision Pro headset cost?
Prepare to be surprised: Apple’s debut AR/VR headset is pricey.
When it is released, the Reality Pro will cost $3,499 in the United States; no other currencies have been announced as of yet.
We’re not sure about cost, but Apple has emphasized the design’s flexibility and customizability, so expect to pay a premium for different headband alternatives, as well as the option of Zeiss corrective lenses, rather than having a range of CPUs or storage to select from.
Even by VR standards, $3,499 is too pricey. It costs more than twice as much as the $1,499/£1,499 Meta Quest Pro and is the equal of seven of the impending $499 Meta Quest 3 headgear.
The good news is that, according to Bloomberg, Apple may be working on a considerably cheaper headgear for release in 2024. According to The Information, Apple plans to offer a more inexpensive headset, however ‘affordable’ in Apple’s view means a price comparable to the Meta Quest Pro.
This is supposed to be accomplished by employing lower-tier components than the top-tier headset, such as a lower-resolution display, less processing power, and maybe the deletion of the low-latency audio chipset.
Ming-Chi Kuo, on the other hand, believes that a more cheap sequel is still a long way off. He claims that Apple is developing two successors, “a high-end and a low-end,” but that they won’t be available until 2025.
What to expect from Apple’s AR/VR headset
Although it is pricey, the Vision Pro is unlike any other headset on the market in terms of style and specifications.
Design
The headset appears to be a combination between the Meta Quest Pro and a ski mask in terms of overall design, with lightweight fabrics and materials that should assist maintain a comfortable fit during prolonged sessions.
The headset’s front is a 3D-curved piece of laminated glass that joins to the aluminum alloy frame. The design is straightforward, with a single button, a digital spinning crown, and cooling vents.
The light seal, which will be available in “a range of shapes and sizes,” bends to contour to your face for a pleasant and exact fit.
Then there are the flexible straps that hold the two audio units, or ‘audio pods’ as Apple refers to them, which you position to keep the speakers near to your ears.
Finally, a 3D knitted headband with an elastic construction that is ribbed for your enjoyment. It connects to the rest of the headset by a simple click mechanism, making it quick and easy to switch out for a new size or style, similar to the Apple Watch. There’s also an adjustable dial for more precise adjustments.
Early leaks stated that the headgear was not intended for those who wear glasses, and this appears to be the truth. Apple’s answer is (unsurprisingly) costly: special Zeiss optical inserts that magnetically connect to the headset’s optics and are available in a variety of prescriptions. There’s no news on pricing yet, but it won’t be cheap.
So far, Apple has not stated how much the headset weighs, but it has admitted that in order to reduce weight, the battery has been removed from the headset and placed in an aluminum battery pack that is attached via a “supple, woven cable.” Lovely.
The most notable feature of the Vision Pro’s design is its lack of controls. Apple intended for you to use your eyes, hands, and voice to control the headset, so there are no potentially burdensome controls to learn.
Specs, tracking, and performance
The Vision Pro hardware is powered by one of Apple’s M2 CPUs, which can be found across the company’s Mac lineup, including the new 15-inch MacBook Air, which was announced with the headset.
That ensures tremendous power, almost probably more than any competing AR headset now available.
The M2 is combined with a new parallel chip, R1.
This technology is built for real-time sensor processing, managing inputs from the headset’s 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones while attempting to maintain latency as low as possible – according to the firm, as little as 12ms, or less than the time it takes you to blink.
All of that tracking is also complicated. The cameras are utilized to provide you with a visual feed of the environment as well as to monitor your eye and hand motions for control, with all of the sensors working together to make the headset experience as natural and immersive as possible.
The exhibits are very remarkable. The two microOLED display modules, each the size of a postage stamp, have 23 million pixels. This implies that each eye receives a screen with a better quality than a 4K TV, allowing you to view 4K material while also reading tiny text with clarity.
The most startling feature is that the headgear has a third display – on the exterior. Using a feed sent by cameras inside the headset, this curved OLED screen is meant to reveal your eyes to those in the room with you.
In terms of audio, each of the two ‘audio pods’ has two drivers and uses audio ray-tracing to tailor its ‘ambient Spatial Audio’ to the precise size, layout, and materials of your space.
The drawback to all of this power is the battery life. While Apple claims that this is a “all-day” headset when plugged in, it only lasts up to two hours on battery power. That means, despite Apple’s marketing, this doesn’t yet seem like travel or out-and-about technology.
Software and features
So, for all that hardware, what does Vision Pro actually do?
On the most basic level, the software, termed visionOS, allows you to launch all of your typical programs on a private display, including multi-tasking, so you can browse the web or work on a presentation on what appears to be a massive monitor.
According to Apple, “hundreds of thousands” of iOS and iPadOS applications will be compatible with the hardware, as well as a separate app store for products built particularly for Vision Pro – including a Disney+ app that Disney CEO Bob Iger showed off at WWDC.
You can see those applications floating around in the area you’re in – or, technically, a camera feed of that room – or you can replace them with immersive 3D surroundings if you’d rather work in the jungle or an X-Wing cockpit.
The headgear allows you to browse images or view videos while automatically dimming your surroundings. There are other cool features here as well, such as panoramic photographs that wrap around you, 3D movies like Avatar that appear in full effect, and custom new Spatial Audio tech that provides surround sound.
You can even use the headgear to generate 3D content, but who will? You must wear the headgear when taking 3D images or recording 3D video, giving Apple’s concept of collecting treasured family moments in three dimensions a dystopian edge.
Naturally, the headset can sync with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, transferring all of your information and accounts.
Even more impressive is the ability to wirelessly stream material from other gear. Simply staring at a MacBook screen may send the contents of its display to the headset interface, allowing you to work on files privately while the laptop screen remains blank.
The headset is mostly controlled by eye-tracking, gestures, and voice commands – including dictation for texting – but if you need to get down to business, you can attach a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse for a more traditional experience.
You can even use the headset for FaceTime calls, but there’s a catch: because no one wants to see your face behind a visor, Apple is instead using eye-tracking technology to create a 3D digital avatar of you that recreates your facial movements exactly (well, ish – even Apple’s WWDC demo wasn’t entirely convincing here).
In terms of security, Apple has launched Optic ID, an eye-scanning technology that recognizes the distinct patterns of your iris. This works as expected for Apple Pay, App Store purchases, and password auto-fill, as well as providing useful privacy for users of a shared headset.
