On Friday, the first Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headsets reached buyers. It is one of the most expensive and bold products in the history of Apple, an unusual product, but also with many disadvantages, the biggest of which is the price. Rarely has a product been so praised, but also criticized by people who tried it. Also, it’s unclear what these headphones are actually good for.
Apple has been working on virtual reality headsets for more than four years, presented them in June 2023, and now deliveries have begun, but there will be no queues in stores, because the Vision Pro costs like 3-4 iPhones and has accessories that can increase the total price to more than 5,500 dollars (for example, a spare battery costs $200).
It will not hurt to have a spare battery, because the autonomy of the included battery is about two hours. Additional memory for 3D video is $400, and the case is $200.
According to analysts, Apple will sell several hundred thousand units in the first year. iPhone will find more than 220 million customers.
What Americans liked who tested Vision Pro longer. The screen is great, hand and eye tracking work well, all apps work well with Apple’s ecosystem, and it’s easy to “orientate” with the signature window system.
Of the minuses, the biggest and most often mentioned is the exorbitant price. But, obviously, there are others: the interface still needs to be worked on, there are not many compatible applications, and the battery is external, connected by a cable.
Apple did not use the word “metaverse” in the Vision Pro presentations, which is closely related to Facebook, the company renamed itself “Meta” to clearly indicate the direction in which it is moving. Apple representatives didn’t even say “virtual reality”, they talked about “spatial computing”, the idea is to supplement the surrounding reality, not transport users to a completely new universe isolated from reality.
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.
“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 last 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.
There is no doubt that there won’t be huge sales, and the question is whether many developers will want to create applications for such an expensive terminal (and with sales that are unlikely to be high in terms of units). It is already known that most of the popular applications will not have a version for Vision Pro in the near future.
Apple representatives insisted that those who will use the headphones will not be isolated in virtual reality, but will always be in touch with the reality … real around them and will be able to immediately see when a person is next to them, while with the help applications. What’s more, bystanders can also see the eyes of the Vision Pro helmet wearer.
But in some reviews, journalists wrote that you feel lonely if you spend too much time in the “universe” of Vision Pro, because you don’t really have anyone to talk to. FaceTime video calls can be made with other Vision Pro owners, but of course they will be few and far between. Sometimes headphones can be uncomfortable if you keep them on your eyes for more than an hour.
It suggests that Apple has created the best terminal in the category, convenient and with super-high-quality images. But this is a niche product.
Comparisons are made with a computer on your face (“a computer on your face”) or with a huge super-high-quality TV that you are watching.
For Apple, the launch of Vision Pro represents a calculated risk, but even if sales are extremely weak, it will not be a disaster for a company that derives more than half of its turnover from the iPhone. Apple’s future will not be affected even if only a few thousand VR headsets are sold in the coming years.
Source: Hot News
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.