- Written by Tom Gerken & Zoe Kleinman
- BBC News
image source, Getty Images
Apple's high-priced, high-spec Vision Pro headset will be released in the United States on February 2nd.
US customers have the option to pre-order the $3,499 (£2,749) mixed reality device from mid-January. A release date in the UK has yet to be determined.
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 more than halved its production forecast, dropping from an estimated 1 million units to 400,000 units in 2024.
spec
Along with the release 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 people who cannot fully utilize both eyes. revealed.
But interestingly, the company is trying to separate its headsets from other devices on the market, telling 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 showing the movie's characters wearing goggles and a helmet, which feels like an attempt to recreate the hype surrounding the iPhone's release in 2007.
expensive
If successful, this could be a new source of billions of dollars in revenue for Apple.
But the hefty price tag will likely keep it a toy for the wealthy, as many people around the world struggle to afford basic necessities.
Meta, another tech giant, has opted for a lower-priced headset as a big bet on the still-emerging virtual reality and mixed reality headset market.
The Quest 3 costs $499 in the US and £479 in the UK.
Despite its low price, it struggles to achieve mass market appeal.
vision pro review
We were one of the few news organizations in the world allowed to test the device, but we weren't allowed to take any photos or film.
Unlike many existing headsets, Apple has removed the battery so it doesn't weigh down your head. However, the battery must be connected to a cable and placed next to the user.
The user experience is classic, minimalist Apple. When you turn on the headset, you can see the room around you, but instead of looking through glass, you're looking through a number of on-board cameras.
This is a “mixed reality” experience, or digital content projected into your surroundings.
Physically pressing the single button in the top 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. (more are planned). .
And everything after that is gesture control. The headset tracks where you're looking, so if you look at an app and pinch 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 looking at. It can fill an entire room or be displayed like a TV screen stacked on a wall.
But if someone is walking in front of you in real life, you can see them no matter how immersed you are.
Still, every time we had a problem with the demo, Apple employees reminded us that this wasn't the finished product. Apple also prohibited filming during the demo, so these issues could not be recorded or shared online.
