WWDC
Vision Pro: Apple unveils its first mixed reality headset
Apple ventures into a new product category for the first time in nine years: Virtual Reality. The iPhone manufacturer's new headset will cost 3,499 euros
Mickey Manakas
June 5, 2023, 22:28
Mickey Manakas
June 5, 2023, 22:28
The time has come: After months of the wildest rumors, Apple unveiled a pair of mixed reality glasses called Vision Pro on Monday evening - venturing into a completely new product category for the first time in nine years now. At launch, the headset is expected to cost $3,499. A steep price, which the company wants to justify with an innovative operating concept, a wide range of functions, and of course with the integration into its own ecosystem.
It is not often that one surprise follows the next at product presentations. At this year's WWDC, however, Apple not only presented a completely new platform with the Vision Pro, but also a series of updates for the Mac. The Macbook Air gets a big brother with a 15-inch display, the Mac Studio gets an upgrade to the M2 processor - and the Mac Pro finally makes the leap from Intel to Apple Silicon. There were also first glimpses of iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and new features for AppleTV.
"One more thing"
Although it was revealed at the very end of the keynote (keyword "one more thing"), the new mixed reality glasses are the undisputed star of tonight. Apple CEO Tim Cook calls the Reality Pro the "most advanced personal computing device" in the world - and heralds the age of spatial computing with the presentation.
This is what the user interface of the Vision Pro looks like according to Apple.
Apple shows what is meant by this in a number of videos. As soon as you put on the glasses, you will still see the real environment, the user interface is simply superimposed and floats in space. Windows can be placed anywhere and the size can be adjusted to the user's needs.
Thanks to a series of cameras and sensors placed on the inside and outside, the user interface will work completely without a controller. If you want to open an app or press a button, all you have to do is look at it and bring your fingertips together - which could revolutionize conventional computer operation. At least if Apple can keep its promise. After all, the device is supposed to be able to recognize even the smallest gestures so that you don't have to change your hand position much, for example, when you are sitting on the sofa and have put it down.
Immersive collaboration
Those working on larger documents also have the option of connecting conventional Bluetooth accessories like a keyboard, trackpad or mouse to the headset. This is especially useful when you have to write texts. Alternatively, you can control the device with voice. According to Apple, you only have to look at a search field and can start speaking to start a search query.
It quickly becomes clear that the Vision Pro is primarily advertised for the work context. The headset is supposed to enable new possibilities for digital collaboration, for example by working on 3D models together or holding digital meetings, which become much more immersive thanks to the glasses. The headset creates a digital avatar of the user, with whom they can then participate in video conferences. These should also work with popular service providers such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex.
This is how it looks when you work with several programs at the same time. Here you can still see the surroundings, so you are in augmented reality mode.
Again and again, the possibility to stay in contact with people in the real environment is emphasized. They can see the Vision Pro user's eyes, at least when the user is in augmented reality mode. A digital crown on the top of the device should make it possible to switch seamlessly between virtual and augmented reality. There will also be a variety of intermediate levels. So you can choose whether you want to completely immerse yourself in the digital world or see what's going on around you.
Immerse yourself in movies
This feature is also highlighted in the entertainment area. If you watch a movie, you should be able to adjust the screen to the desired size, the room is dimmed and you can enjoy the content including spatial audio. But that's not all: It should be possible to scale the "screen" beyond the actual room size to immerse yourself even deeper into the experience - a feature that could also be interesting for gaming. At the launch of the headset, thousands of games from the Apple Arcade catalog should be available to play with full controller support.
What's exciting is that when you fully immerse yourself in the virtual environment, it doesn't just go dark around the open apps. Instead, you end up in different "environments", i.e. living environments. During the keynote, for example, a lakeside can be seen here. As it stands, though, different apps can bring different backgrounds with them. For example, Apple showed that you can watch the series "The Mandalorian" via Disney+ while you are on Tatooine.
Strong hardware
But now to the hardware that powers the Vision Pro. The core of the headset is an M2 processor. Thanks to its high performance and energy efficiency, it allows for almost silent operation. A new chip called R1 has also been installed. It is supposed to process the input of the different sensors and cameras, which should prevent delays during inputs. Apple wants to prevent users from getting sick during use. Competing products like the Meta Quest still have to struggle with this problem. Eye and hand movements are tracked by several cameras and sensors. Apple has not yet revealed exactly how many of these are installed. The only thing that is clear is that there are infrared cameras and LED illuminators on the inside that track exactly where you look. There are also several cameras that point downwards and sideways - presumably to always know what the hands are doing. Also on board is a LiDAR scanner and a true-depth camera. These are supposed to create a three-dimensional image of the surroundings. Thanks to a button on the top, users can take 3D photos, among other things.
The information about the installed displays is also a bit vague so far. Two microOLED panels with a combined resolution of 23 million pixels are used. According to Apple, they can display more pixels per eye than a 4K screen. A dedicated audio system including spatial audio is also on board. This is supposed to give users the feeling that sounds come from the whole room. Of course, you can also use Bluetooth headphones like Apple's Airpods.
High-quality components
The front of the headset is made of a large piece of curved glass, while the case itself is made of aluminum. The face pad is said to be available in different sizes and shapes to maximize wearing comfort. The same goes for the strap, which ultimately means a modular design for the headset. This also allows glasses wearers to attach prescription lenses. These are to be attached magnetically without affecting the many functions of the glasses.
On a full charge, the headset is said to have a battery life of two hours. The battery is not installed internally, instead there is an external battery pack that you have to put in your pocket and carry with you. Charging takes place via a magnetic cable, the mechanism is reminiscent of the Magsafe system in current Macbooks.
It will be quite a while before the Vision Pro is available. Apple has specified a release date of early 2024 - but only for the US. The headset will probably not be launched in other countries until later. In any case, the price is quite high. The glasses will cost $3,499 at launch.
The delay is important for Apple, as the success of the headset largely depends on there being enough apps for the new hardware. However, the company promises that countless iPhone and iPad apps will already be available at launch. Among them are popular photo editing programs like Lightroom.
A large Macbook Air
Apple fans can look forward to the new Macbook Air with a 15-inch display much sooner. This can be pre-ordered now, will be available from June 13 and will cost at least 1,599 euros. Like the 13-inch model, the new laptop is powered by an M2 processor and comes in four different colors. The design also remains the same; after all, this was only updated last year. Specifically, this means narrower display edges, a "notch" for the 1080p webcam, and a more angular case.
At the end of the day, Apple simply took the more compact model and equipped it with a larger screen. This one still has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and can display a billion colors. It is a Liquid Retina display, which means that an LCD panel is installed.
Six speakers with Spatial Audio support are responsible for the sound. Despite the larger display, Apple still promises a battery life of up to 18 hours. This is made possible by the power-saving design of the M2 chip. Nothing has changed in terms of connectivity either. A Magsafe 3 port, two USB-C ports and a headphone jack are still available on the device's side.
Mac Studio and Mac Pro
The Mac Studio has also received a long overdue update. The powerful home computer was previously powered by a powerful variant of the M1 processor. That is now history. The second generation of the PC, presented Monday night, will come with either an M2 Max or the new M2 Ultra processor. Apple promises a big performance leap compared to the previous model. When editing videos, for example, it should be possible to watch up to 22 video streams in 8K Prores resolution. In addition, it is now possible to use up to eight external monitors simultaneously. With M2 Ultra chip, the new Mac Studio costs at least 4,799 Euros.
Thanks to an update for Airdrop, it will also be possible to simply hold iPhones close to each other in order to share contact data. The same should also apply to pictures and Sharplay.
A completely new feature is the Journal app, which allows users to create diary entries enriched with photos and other data. With the new StandBy feature, it will also be possible to use the iPhone as a smart home hub.
iPadOS 17
With the current update, the iPad gets new options for personalization. The most important ones are probably the newly presented interactive widgets on the home screen and the integration of the same on the lock screen. In the future, you will also be able to set live photos as background images and change the font of the displayed information.
macOS Sonoma
The new macOS version will be called Sonoma. Some of the iPhone and iPad features described will also make it to the Mac, according to Apple. In addition, widgets will play a much bigger role. These can be placed on the desktop in the future and should make the user experience much more pleasant.
A game mode was also announced. This is supposed to prioritize video games and reduce the latency for audio transmissions via Airpods. Wireless controllers should also benefit from this. In this context, it was also announced that "Death Stranding" will be released for the Mac.
Last but not least, Safari has received an update. In the future, the browser will allow you to create web apps and place them in the Dock. If you open them, you will see them in a new window with a simplified user interface. The conversion should work with all websites and not cause any additional work for website operators.
The Apple Watch
The user interface of the Apple Watch is getting a comparatively major overhaul this year. The focus here is also on widgets. The experience and the Watchfaces are supposed to become clearer as a result. If you turn the digital crown under watchOS 10, you end up in a menu full of widgets. You can customize which ones you find there. This way, you should always have the most important information at hand without having to see it on your own watchface. There are also a number of fresh features for cyclists and hikers. They will be able to track their workouts in even more detail in the future.
Developers now have access to the new versions of Apple's operating systems. An open beta for iOS 17 should be available from July. The release of the full version is planned towards the end of the year. (Mickey Manakas, 6/5/2023)
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