So it begins, after years of intrigue and a busy 2023, which saw XR audiences far and wide hype Apple’s MR headset, the firm finally confirmed the release window for the much talked about Vision Pro, an MR headset for productivity, entertainment, and social use cases.
On its website, Apple confirmed that the device would debut next month, February 2, with the firm also opening pre-orders on January 19. Apple will start distributing the MR headset at all US stores and for US online customers only, with other regions to follow.
Apple will start the pricing of the Vision Pro at $3,499 for a model with 256GB of storage. Moreover, Apple is distributing additional accessories that increase accessibility for those who require prescription glasses – although at a cost.
Apple is working with ZEISS to bring optional optical inserts to the product, with “Readers” soon available for $99 and prescription standard optics for $149.
Additional Vision Pro accessories for leveraging the device with the utmost comfort and usability include the solo knit band, dual loop band, light seal, two light seal cushions, an Apple Vision Pro cover, polishing cloth, battery, USB-C charge cable, and USB-C power adapter.
Moreover, with the device’s debut, Apple will also launch an accompanying App Store, allowing Vision Pro users to quickly download immersive solutions catering to productivity, notably for working, peer-to-peer collaboration, and viewing reference material.
Notably, the app store will contain over one million spatial applications which work alongside iOS and iPadOS products. Therefore, this prompts Vison Pro users to leverage the device alongside familiar Apple products.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, added:
The era of spatial computing has arrived. Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created. Its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine how we connect, create, and explore.
Moreover, in a recent interview with the BBC, Cook said the Vision Pro “works as your mind works” when discussing the integrated eye and tracking features.
An “Infinite Canvas for Productivity”
Apple is pursuing a spatial computing vision for XR. Steering far away from technology terms like AR/VR/MR and the Metaverse, Apple is approaching the immersive technology space with a new angle, “spatial computing.”
Perhaps just a marketing term to negate comparisons to consumer and gaming-leaning XR solutions, Apple’s spatial computing vision is relatively simple in some regards. The firm’s goal is to expand 2D screen-based computing into the Vision’s Pro “infinite canvas,” which allows users to interact with productivity applications in a 3D space around them,
Apple’s approach lowers hardware requirements and allows users to have an extended screen without a physical external monitor, and body tracking also enables interaction without a keyboard, mouse, or controller. The device also integrates Siri, allowing users to interact and request items via voice command.
Additionally, Apple is taking an MR-first approach, enabling Vision Pro to deliver fully immersive or assisted reality XR services. Users can overlay and merge digital content with their surroundings or fully immerse themselves in virtual locations such as Haleakalā, Joshua Tree, Yosemite National Parks, and the Moon.
The device will also come ready for enterprise use with leading third-party productivity apps prepared at launch, such as Fantastical, Freeform, JigSpace, Microsoft 365 services, and Slack. Interestingly, the Vision Pro also comes with an innovative version of FaceTime, which scans a user’s face and displays that to another Vision Pro caller; this digital avatar – which Apple calls personas – also works on XR versions of Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams.
Vision Pro Specs and Further Details
The Vision Pro device is equipped with a custom M2 Silicon chip and Apple’s purpose-built R1 graphics processor, both of which support MR applications. Unlike its competitors, Apple has not used Qualcomm technology for these processors.
The device boasts a high-resolution, 23 million-pixel display across two micro-OLED lenses, as well as high-dynamic range (HDR) and wide colour gamut (WCG) outputs.
In addition to its hardware specifications, the Vision Pro device has a 2-hour battery life, an immersive camera for capturing spatial audio/photos/video for peer-to-peer sharing, iPhone/iPad/Mac synchronization, a light seal, a LiDAR scanner, and a TrueDepth camera. The Vision Pro also runs on a custom operating system, VisionOS, which Apple designed explicitly for MR applications.
