Will Apple’s Vision Pros actually be successful?
Here’s what we think about the new augmented reality goggles
Apple have finally revealed their long-awaited ‘Augmented Reality’ goggles which allow users to interact with apps with just their eyes.
There has been much speculation surrounding when Apple would release their own AR glasses to contend with the likes of Google Glass, Meta’s Oculus and Snapchat’s Spectacles.
Of course, Apple has to contend with their own history of ground-breaking and revolutionary devices that become mainstays in our lives, no matter how peculiar they seem at first. Apple have created an internal ‘tough act to follow’ problem with their latest innovations. They had already set the bar high with the first Mac in 1984, the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007, the iPad in 2010, the Apple Watch in 2014 and its AirPods in 2016 - all of which have been incredibly commercially successful.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook unveiled the ‘Vision Pro’ Monday 7th June at Apple’s annual developer's conference and called it "the first product you look through, not at."
So what do we really need to know about the Vision Pros?
The look and feel:
Unlike its previous breakthroughs Apple have eschewed streamlined in favour of a fully capable device, the Vision Pros resemble a pair of ski goggles in size, and are suprisingly ‘clunky.’ That being said they do feature a glass 23-million-pixel screen, so they need the real estate. In comparison the now-defunct Google Glass were much smaller, and more similar to regular reading glasses, they still failed despite being fairly ergonomic.
What do the Vision Pros do?
The Vision Pro is controlled with the user’s eyes, hands and voice and the wearer can interact with digital content “just like it’s in your physical space.” Apple has dubbed this, “spatial computing.” The announcement video of the Cupertino based software company showed models wearing the goggles and moving apps around the room they were sitting in. Apple also boasted footage of a model watching a film through the glasses which occupied a large area of the room - far larger than a normal screen.
What do the Apple Vision Pros cost?
The Vision Pro prices will start at $3,499 (£2,814) and will be available in the US early next year - with the rest of the world getting access a few months later.
When will Apple’s Vision Pros be available to buy?
They will be available in the US early next year - with the rest of the world getting access a few months later.
Will the Apple Vision Pros be a success?
According to Wired, and many other tech critics…. no. “This is not a “revolutionary” gadget, no matter how confident Tim Cook looks when he says it is,” wrote Wired’s Kate Knibbs, “It’s a rare misfire, and a sign that Apple is losing its ability to turn tech-geek novelties into normie must-haves.”
AR headsets don’t have a great track record so far, Google Glass for instance shut down in March this year and lost the company around $895 million… contributing factors were price, and lack of "hype" and a lack of consumer demand.