Yesterday was the day: Apple showed us what they understand by a face mask: Spatial Computing with the Apple Vision Pro.
After Facebook and Microsoft’s metaverse hasn’t really taken off yet, Apple is also venturing into the AR and VR worlds. Too late, some critics might say.
No, at the right time. With a more mature concept, I’d like to counter.
To get straight to the point: I see no reason to buy a $3500 device that essentially can’t do more than all my existing devices. I will do it anyway because I want to discover this new world and user experience. You have to experience AR and VR worlds to form an opinion.
I did the same with Meta’s Oculus – but was severely disappointed. After about 10 minutes, the wow effect is gone and boredom sets in. Because there are no reasonable apps and no content that really interests me.
Through the Apple Universe with Glasses
With Apple, it will be different. Because the new Vision Pro succeeds in connecting to the entire existing Apple universe: photos, movies, music, and of course apps. So I don’t have to worry about content. And just with the Apple basic apps, I can easily work for a day. Especially, of course, because Safari is a really good web browser that brings all online services to (under? in?) the glasses.
And this is just the beginning: Developers still have almost a year to adapt their apps. Big companies like Adobe and Microsoft have already announced their collaboration. So it’s safe to assume that the App Store will be well-stocked when the Apple Vision Pro is released.
Focus on Focus
What struck me during the presentation of the new device yesterday: all shown use cases are about individual people doing something very concentrated and focused:
- working in the AR world
- watching (3D) movies
- viewing (panorama) photos
- enjoying relaxation apps
- …
With this, Apple turns a general criticism of VR glasses into a positive: The (for some oppressive) feeling of isolation becomes a desired focus: I consciously retreat into a world where I can fully concentrate on what I’m doing right now. Me Time with glasses!
I find this interesting. Especially for the working world, where open-plan offices are often perceived as disturbing and distracting. Or for concentrated learning. Or even on the train or airplane, where you want to consciously block out the outside world. Apple’s glasses can help here, especially since they allow users to determine how great the isolation should be. A simple turn of the Digital Crown makes the world in the glasses more transparent to the outside world or more immersive for the users.
The opposite direction is also controllable. From the outside, you can see my face in the glasses. Albeit in a digital avatar form, but quite lifelike in the demos. At least so real that the illusion is created that the wearer is in contact with the outside world – although of course they have a considerable amount of technology in front of their face. On request, however, one can also retreat into the glasses and thus signal to the outside world: I don’t want to be disturbed right now. Clever.
Into the Glasses with Glasses
What I like: Apple has (as expected) put a lot of thought into the design and comfort factor. It looks comfortable. Since Apple wisely doesn’t build the battery into the Vision Pro, the weight could be bearable, even though you’re still putting quite a chunk on your nose.
Speaking of battery: it’s magnetically connected to the glasses with MagSafe and is supposed to last 2 hours. That’s not super long and shows how much energy all the cameras, processors, and sensors of the glasses draw. Cleverly, you can also hang the whole thing on the power outlet via a USB charger. Mobility is thus gone, but the energy supply is constant.
If you believe initial reports, the display is supposed to be fantastic. This has rarely been convincing with previous glasses. But Apple wouldn’t be Apple if they didn’t place value on a pixel-free display. The two displays of the Apple Vision Pro are essentially two 4K monitors that you have in stamp size in front of your eyes. That’s pretty impressive and I’m curious to see how it comes across in reality.
As a glasses wearer, I was naturally pleased to hear that the diopter problem has been solved. I can’t wear my glasses under Apple’s headset, which is good because it would be extremely uncomfortable. To compensate for the lack of visual acuity, there are magnetic ‘optical inserts’ that I can insert into the headset precisely according to my needs. Essentially, glasses within glasses. This sounds good and comfortable, but also expensive – because these inserts will surely cost a pretty penny on top.
Has the World been Waiting for this?
No, probably not. But this has happened occasionally in Apple’s history. No one was waiting for the iPhone, the iPad, or the Apple Watch either. The rest is history.
I consider the concept of the Apple Vision Pro to be well thought out and believe that Apple is indeed creating a new product category again. And it’s with Apple’s secret recipe: somehow the thing is completely new, but it also feels strangely familiar.
No question: If you already use other Apple devices and services, you can put on the Vision Pro and get started. What we saw in the demos yesterday is already impressive. Now Apple, along with app developers, has almost a year to bring it to fruition. The competition, of course, has the same time, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Samsung also releases such a headset in the fall. But that can be irrelevant to Apple, because yesterday evening’s presentation of the Apple Vision Pro will have an impact and certainly surpasses anything we’ve seen before in the AR/VR field.
