​Apple is a marketing supermachine, and since terms like “metaverse” or “augmented reality” don’t really sound cool, the company decided to use “spatial computing” for its AR/VR super-headset. Undoubtedly, this is the most successful product in the segment, but why does Apple shy away from certain termsand?

“Space computing” and “spatial computing” are phrases that Apple often used in presentations of its first VR headset: the Vision Pro.

What does “space computer” mean? Digital data is combined with the surrounding reality to help you do different things or have fun. Some examples of applications are also provided: see a tutorial on how to put together a cabinet in Vision Pro, or see how to cook a certain dish, and you can do it by following the instructions.

• VIDEO Apple Vision Pro – Pros and cons of a $3,500 virtual reality headset

“Spatial computing” refers to augmented reality, which is the overlaying of some graphical elements on the surrounding reality when you wear the Vision Pro headset. AR, Augmented Reality, is a concept that has been talked about a lot for the past 10 years and quite a few people are interested in AR gadgets. “Spatial computing” sounds new, “fresh,” and Apple says the Vision Pro is in a different league.

Why didn’t Apple use the term “metaverse”? One reason is clear: Facebook has set itself the goal of developing a metaverse, and Apple does not want to follow the same path, because it has a different vision of how to make money from AR/VR.

There’s another reason: the metaverse is a concept that’s been written about a lot, but it’s not known whether it will exist, whether it’s worth investing heavily in development, or whether metaverse programs will ever become profitable.

The metaverse is no longer cool even among investors, especially since in recent months there has been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence, and most of the investors’ money is going to it. Not to mention the fact that there are also Meta employees who aren’t thrilled with the forced direction the company is taking in the meta universe.

Another important thing: Apple, unlike Meta, does not want to “send” users of AR/VR headsets to a completely separate “universe” from reality, but insists on a close connection between what you see on the super screen and Vision Pro and reality… the reality around you. Apple doesn’t want users to be isolated from reality, although if you’re wearing a big screen on your face, you can’t help but be.

Several major publications in the US have tested the Vision Pro and the conclusions are the same: it is a device with excellent 3D graphics, has huge potential if there are many applications, BUT there are some cons and questions.

It seems unlikely that people will have the patience to sit for more than two hours with these headphones on their eyes to watch a movie. Then it’s hard to believe that people will want to do the things the iPhone ALREADY does great on these super high-tech headphones: look at photos, browse the web, video chat with friends.

Before the presentation of Vision Pro, the press wrote that this segment of AR/VR headsets needed the so-called “iPhone moment”, that is, the introduction of Apple, which, although late, is very important, since Apple tried to “repair” as much as possible. shortcomings of devices released by competing companies in recent years.

The Vision Pro costs $3,500, and the price is the biggest downside. There are not many applications yet, but developers will most likely want to create “applications” for such an Apple gadget. In many reviews, the question arises: do we really need such headphones?

Over the past decade, there have been several gadgets that created a sensation when they were launched but failed to catch on with the public for various reasons. Google Glass wowed a lot of people in 2012, but turned out to be a strange wearable device and fantastically expensive for what it “knew” how to do. The Oculus Rift did not sell in large volumes, and the Microsoft HoloLens was too expensive and used in niche applications.

With the Samsung Gear VR, you needed your phone and the experience wasn’t too good, and Meta has sold quite a few Quest units recently, but they also remain niche.

How far will Apple Vision Pro develop? Will there be a $1,500 version in a few years? Apple has the financial, technological and marketing power to turn niche terminals into mainstream ones. For example, the first iPhone in 2007 could NOT record and had no front-facing camera. It costs $499, which at the time was considered an extremely high price. Today’s iPhones are extremely sophisticated, with the most expensive ones costing more than $1,200.

In 2015, when the Apple Watch launched, many said it would only sell a few million units a year, but by 2022, 53 million had been sold, and watches were getting more and more sophisticated.

Sources: The Economist, Washington Post, New York Times, TechCrunch