Source: Apple / Apple Vision Pro
After numerous delays, Apple has finally unveiled its long-rumored Apple Vision Pro headset, and yes, it’s ridiculously expensive.
Tim Cook and his evil geniuses at Apple have been hard at work for years on the Apple Vision Pro, which was reportedly delayed numerous times before the Apple boss used his infamous “one last thing” card to hit us with the company’s new toy.
Per Cook, the headset, which hilariously looks like a pair of tricked-out ski goggles Diddy would rock in one of his music videos, will allow its wearers to “seamlessly” blend the real and digital world and is “the first Apple product you look through, and not at.”
Apple’s latest peripheral is billed as an AR headset but can switch between augmented and full virtual with the turn of a dial. It does not have controllers like Meta’s Quest 3 or the PSVR2 and is controlled by the wearer’s eyes, hands, and voice.
Thanks to what Apple calls VisionOS, wearers can navigate rows of apps just by looking like them.
You can also tap to select and issue voice commands. The Vision Pro also supports Bluetooth accessories like the Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard. Of course, you can connect to your Mac or iPhone, and the headset’s downward camera will capture hands.
This definitely sounds like something out of the movies Minority Report or Ready Player One.
The device is tethered to an external battery pack that fits into your pocket that the company says will last 2 hours, making us wonder if getting through a TSA checkpoint will be a hassle. Hilariously during Apple’s WWDC23 presentation, they boasted you could use it during a flight, but we shall see about that.
Other Design Details
Source: Apple / Apple Vision Pro
The headset is made of aluminum and features a glass display that Apple calls Light Seal. Underneath the hood are five sensors, 12 cameras, and a 4K display for each eye paired with a powerful computer that stays cool with the help of an internal fan.
The “Head Band” can flex to fit, ensuring a good fit for heads of all shapes and sizes, and can also be swapped out for other styles.
For those wearing glasses, Apple partnered with Zeiss to create custom optical inserts that magnetically connect the lenses. The Vision Pro will also provide sharp 4K video powered by Apple’s M2 Chip and the new R1 chip.
While the experience is designed to be immersive, a feature called EyeSight will show the wearer’s eyes, allowing them to connect with a person in the room with you. When in full VR, a glowing screen will cover your peepers.
Passthrough video will allow the wearer to see the real world in full color and place 3D virtual objects into real space. The headset is also being pushed as the one-stop to enjoy movies, Apple Arcade and Disney+, which Bob Iger revealed will launch with the headset.
The Price Tag Is Absurd
Source: Apple / Apple Vision Pro
Of course, a device that does all of those wonderful things would not be cheap. Following the lengthy presentation, Tim Cook happily announced that his Vision Pro headset would cost an astounding $3,499 when it arrives in the United States early next year.
The Vision Pro is already receiving praise for its ingenuity and impressive features but will push Apple into a market that is still trying to take off.
Meta is seeing relative success thanks to its Meta Quest 2 headset, and the recently announced Quest 3 will hope to continue Meta’s dominance in the VR space. Meta also released a high-end version, the $1,000 Quest Pro, to mixed results.
The price tag of the Apple Vision Pro is already garnering some hilarious Twitter reactions, with “For $3,500” trending on Elon Musk’s broken social media platform.
We can’t wait to see how the Vision Pro does when it arrives. That day is so far away, but please see the reactions to the company that Jobs built’s new expensive toy in the gallery below.
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Photo: Apple
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