According to the many analysts, leakers and whistleblowers, Apple’s first standalone VR glasses would have been official for a long time. Instead, we had to wait until the WWDC 2023 keynote for the official launch of the Apple Vision Pro. Techkiva now gives you the first facts about the all-in-one AR headset from Apple.
After Oculus presented the Meta Quest 2, probably the best-known standalone VR glasses as the successor to the Oculus Quest, in September 2020, nobody would have guessed. But before Apple, Bytedance actually launched its Pico 4, HTC the Vive XR Elite and the former Facebook group the Meta Quest Pro. All of these models are all-in-one XR/VR headsets with more or less good mixed reality properties.
The Apple Vision Pro is official
But what Apple has delivered today after years of waiting cannot yet be precisely defined. Is the Apple Vision Pro a virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), mixed reality (MR), or augmented reality (AR) glasses? Probably a bit of everything. The optics of the almost $3,500 Vision Pro can best be described as ski or diving goggles without a snorkel. The Apple Vision Pro is equipped with advanced technology that eliminates the need for a controller. Instead, you can navigate through its functions using your fingers, voice commands, and even eye movements.
There is a rotating crown for transparency between reality and what the glasses show you on the two Micro-OLED displays with over 23 million pixels. The Vision Pro draws power from an external battery, which is connected to the side of the headband with a MagSafe cable and is intended to provide power for two hours. The Apple AR glasses are equipped with countless IR sensors, lidar and high-resolution cameras, which require decent performance for real-time 3D playback. An Apple M2 and an Apple R1 chipset do this for the Vision Pro.
After testing the Meta Quest Pro, we noticed a certain pressure on the forehead after a short period of time. A problem that the Apple Vision Pro should not have. The Apple AR glasses feature a thick, yet flexible, light protection around the eyes that seamlessly adapts to the contours of the face. The glasses are held in place at the back by a fabric strap designed to provide optimal cushioning, breathability, and stretchability. This strap can be easily adjusted to achieve a perfect fit.
The pre-installed operating system on the Apple AR glasses is called visionOS, which is built upon the foundations of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. For now, the Apple Vision Pro is only available for $3,500 in the US. However, other countries are to follow shortly, although in my opinion the target group should be fairly manageable for the time being. But I could also be wrong.
What do you say about the Apple Vision Pro? Is that a device you can imagine getting yourself in the near future? Let us know what you think about Apple’s AR/VR/MR/XR glasses in the comments.