Apple is preparing these days for the most important launch in its recent history, with the arrival of the Vision Pro device on the market, scheduled for early next February. Everything new that can be expected now about the gadget that will open the door to the metaverse is a bit of speculation, although some clues can be pointed out about the only thing that is officially known about the device that was revealed in a presentation last June, where the company described it as “Apple's first product that you see through it rather than in front of it.”
Sector sources indicate that the company It will produce an initial shipment of 500,000 viewers, priced around $3,499without necessarily costing the same in other markets, although there is also a rumor about a cheaper version.
As usually happens in these situations, attention is drawn to journalist Mark Gurman, who is accustomed to ruining all the big advertisements of the brand, and who confirmed a few days ago that the company has already begun to offer training courses for small groups of its employees around the stores. Vision Pro, which they then distribute to their colleagues. Since it is a particularly high-end product, the company wants to ensure that the customer's first experience is completely satisfactory.without frustrating many purchase intentions from the beginning.
For this reason, the Revolutionary Glasses are supposedly custom configured, so they can only be purchased from the Apple Store. Among other details, the protector requires a precise fit to the users face, so some care is required in the ergonomics of each client. After an intensive master class in Vision Pro, each employee will return to their Apple Stores to share lessons with colleagues.
In parallel with the production and packaging of projectors manufactured in China, the multinational company approached key application developers via email. To encourage them to familiarize themselves with the new format, with the aim of obtaining a generous list of services and applications immediatelyIn search of the first “killer apps”. What seems certain is that from the get-go, there will be an abundance of immersive content, video games, and stationery.
As Apple CEO Tim Cook described it, the Vision Pro is “the first Apple product that you see through it rather than in front of it. It's a new kind of computer capable of seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world.” Among other strengths With the new tool, “you can see, hear and interact with digital content as if it were present in your physical space.”
Currently, Vision Pro is controlled by the most natural and intuitive tools possible: eyes, hands and voice, so the new technology can replace traditional displays.
Tim Cook: “In the same way that the Mac gave us personal computing and the iPhone gave us mobile computing, the Apple Vision Pro gives us spatial computing.”
“Your environment turns into an infinite canvas, where apps can be used anywhere and scaled to your liking.” Cook added that these features “invite you to take photos and videos, to relive the most important memories in a new way, as well as a revolutionary way to consume movies, series, sports and video games on a giant immersive screen.” Compared to other VR devices, the ability to communicate with other users is also different, as if everyone were sharing the same space.
All of the above opens the door to a term that is expected to become popular from the first quarter of 2024: spatial computing. “Just as the Mac gave us personal computing and the iPhone gave us mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro gives us spatial computing, marking the beginning of a journey that will bring a new dimension to an increasingly powerful and personal world,” Cook added.
Last June, Alan Day, Apple's vice president of human interface development, predicted other experiences that the new headphones would bring. “Apple Vision Pro delivers the freedom to imagine an experience unlike anything we've created before. For the first time, we've designed a fully 3D interface, magically controlled just by your eyes, hands and voice.” In fact, every virtual element has a complete physical meaning, including shadows. “When you first use Vision Pro, you see your space and everything in it. The home view is right in front of you. It's where you find all your applications. It's familiar, yet revolutionary. Every element has been designed to achieve that sense of physicality, dimension and dynamic responsiveness “For light.” Additionally, experiences on Vision Pro go far beyond the screen., by being able to freely fill the space surrounding each user. “It's easy to create apps at any scale, even larger than life,” he explains. “You can put them exactly where you want, anywhere in your space.”
Vision Pro applications will share space with the rest of the applications we use on mobile phones or tablets, but without taking up space from the latter. Regarding the latter, Apple is working on the concept of “environments,” a new term where apps can grow beyond the dimensions of a physical room.
“Environments expand and transform space, enabling experiences that would otherwise be impossible,” Day adds. To work this magic, Vision Pro's so-called Digital Crown is used, an access that allows you to zoom in on a small portion of the real space., like completely immersing yourself in beautiful virtual landscapes to get away from the mundane physical world. Online browsing is also changing radically. In collective memory there's a Mac mouse, an iPod click wheel, or an iPhone's multi-touch.
With Vision Pro, Apple aims to “design an incredibly intuitive entry model for spatial computing,” without the need for additional drivers or hardware. Given this challenge, you can navigate the system just by looking. an effort. “App icons come alive when you look at them.”
Among other wonders, Apple noted, “Simply bring your fingers together to select any object so you can move it around smoothly. The combination of hands and eyes is in sync, as if your mind is directing the experience. “We designed each gesture to be as subtle and natural as possible, so you can place your hands where they are most comfortable, such as lying on your lap or on the couch.”
Vison Pro is designed to coexist with AI, so using natural speech is also a key part of the experience. “With Vision Pro, you can look at a search field and start dictating. Voice input has never been more seamless. And with Siri, you can quickly open or close apps, play media, and more.”
Unlike other headsets that completely isolate the environment, the Vision Pro's primary design goal is to display the real environment at the same time as the virtual one. Thanks to the innovation of EyeSight, “you can see the people around you and vice versa. Your eyes are an important indicator of communication and emotion, “Not only does EyeSight show your eyes, it provides important clues about what you're focusing on, sending a clear signal to those around you that you can't see them at the moment.. But even if you're completely immersed, Apple Vision Pro helps you stay connected to those around you, because when someone is near you, they'll appear in front of you.”
Alessandra McGinnis, Apple's product manager for augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D technology, explained in the same keynote that Vision Pro allows each user's favorite applications (such as Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Safari, Notes, or Messages, Documents) to be used without screen limits, and Always sync through iCloud with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. “Your entire world is a canvas for apps, so you can organize them anywhere, at the perfect size for what you do.” In this way, web pages can be enlarged to read online content in 3D, providing new conveniences for readers.
“You can view messages, take them out, look at them from all angles, as if they were physically in front of you, and manage them with the help of voice recognition or a virtual keyboard,” McGuinness adds. Likewise, via Bluetooth connectivity, a Vision Pro user can view their Mac, iPad or iPhone screen enlarged in 4K quality. “This powerful combination of capabilities makes Apple Vision Pro ideal for the office or remote work,” McGinnis adds.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”