What to Know
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The New Apple Vision Pro
The new Apple Vision Pro AR headgear is visually stunning. On the surface of hardware and software, it may be the most remarkable device we have ever encountered. However, in contrast to the Mac and iPhone, it will not revolutionize the computing industry.
The Vision Pro is expected to usher in “the era of spatial computing” on February 2. This is a bold statement, particularly from Apple. This company has significantly influenced the way in which we interact with and design computers, from the mouse to the multi-touch phone. However, in reality, does a head-mounted display represent the future of computing? Is it merely a specialized accessory?
“Being a wearable device by its very nature presents the Apple Vision Pro with unique challenges and limitations,” senior UX designer Max Sahler wrote in an email to LifeTechTales. Although it is a technological marvel, the requirement to wear it reduces its versatility and user acceptance.
For extended use, general-purpose computing devices must be readily accessible and comfortable. Although the Vision Pro is an innovative device, it might need to effortlessly integrate with the wide array of activities and environments to which smartphones and laptops are accustomed.
Tunnel Vision
On January 19, the Apple Vision Pro becomes available for pre-order; it will be in retailers beginning February 2. It will cost at least $3,500 and include 256GB of storage, which is likely equivalent to the storage capacity of your iPhone.
Apple also reports that reading lenses will cost $100 and prescription lenses will cost $150, respectively, which may be a bit expensive if you’re accustomed to purchasing readers from drugstores for $5. Utilizing the headset while donning glasses is not possible.
“The specific prescriptions that glasses-wearers will support are currently unclear.” “If your vision is worse than -5, you cannot purchase lenses online at all; therefore, this appears to exclude high prescriptions,” Charlotte Dickinson, the proprietor of Minus Eyewear, explained via email to LifeTechTales.
An event that is purportedly the future of computation is introducing something with a relatively low-key debut. Apple initially unveiled the Vision Pro during its summer WWDC developers’ conference and has since issued a solitary press release announcing its release. It is virtually as if Apple is averse to its sale. This could be due to the fact that supply is extremely limited, and Apple cannot meet demand for products priced at $3,500 or more.
However, something seems amiss with a platform that Apple has been positioning as the successor to the Mac and the iPhone, which popularized desktop and mobile computing, respectively.
Gimmick
Touching and looking at a phone or laptop is sufficient to operate it; put it aside when you’re finished. However, spatial computing demands a significantly greater level of dedication, including donning headgear, ensuring that its tethered battery does not become entangled in any object, and remaining fully immersed in the environment for hours. That is even before we consider issues such as obtaining an adequate seal to completely obstruct ambient light or the practical impracticability of using it outdoors.
Given these restrictions, precisely for whom is this intended? This could potentially be developer equipment masquerading as a novel consumer product. Nerds and early adopters of augmented reality and virtual reality will be eager to obtain what amounts to a refined prototype. Software developers will be no exception. Ironically, Apple has instructed developers not to mention AR or VR in app descriptions.
Although the Vision Pro is undeniably remarkable, it won’t be easy to sell. In order to attain mass-market appeal, a prerequisite for the Vision Pro to be considered a platform comparable to the Mac and iPhone, it will be imperative to reduce its size and enhance its portability significantly.
UX/UI specialist and assistive technology researcher Dina Khalil told LifeTechTales via email, “Apple Vision Pro could completely replace laptops and MacBooks for those who don’t typically use their machines for intensive tasks if and only if the company can squeeze it into a stylish, compact pair of glasses.”
Even if you do obtain a pair of augmented reality (AR) spectacles, do you intend to use them solely for checking TikTok, or do you intend to keep them on permanently? How do you intend to type? Utilizing an electronic keyboard? Possibly, but that is still a distant possibility and a long-shot wager.
“By converting the Vision Pro concept into a more traditional form, such as glasses, its appeal could be expanded.” Sahler states, “However, replacing established devices such as the Mac or iPhone is a tall order.”
All of this contributes to the launch’s great suspense. Possibly, Apple is committing an uncommon and monumental error. Alternatively, I could be grossly underestimating the capabilities of this device, just as numerous journalists did with the iPhone. It will certainly be entertaining to discover the answer.