apple had a vision
Few weeks ago Apple finally unveiled its AR/VR headset : the Vision Pro. The speed of the tech news is so fast, I prefer not to follow the trend and just take time to talk about something after the storm. I have to admit that I didn’t think they would announce it this year or even next year. The future is now, we have to be prepared for it. It’s a completely new range of products for Apple. Will it lead and transform the market ? I guess yes, let’s discuss why.
I was really surprised when I read the news about the Apple headset. I read a few lines of the press release and soon I understood. Our days are counted until we have to live with a mask on our face most of the time. I was hoping in secret that it only stays a work in progress project as the Google glasses. It looks like Apple doesn’t joke about this. I’m not sure if I want to live in such a metaverse. After reading the press release, I was thinking : ok, Apple will do it so the followers will follow. Everybody will build a cheaper version of the headset, every software company will create apps for this headset… And soon, we’ll be forced to use these headsets because, dude ! You can’t stop the progress.
Apple has a history of bringing successful new ranges of products to the market : iPod, iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch. We know this. Moreover these products came with a full ecosystem and a shop : iTunes then Apple store. They absolutely have the power to influence the market. They are never the first to release these kinds of products but with Apple it always feels like they invented it, the power of great product marketing, great design and easy to use interface.
Even if this new device is not for the masses : 3.5k$ is definitely not for everyone, Apple will set the trend. The oculus headset from Meta was just for gaming. The Vision Pro is for everything, almost the full Apple ecosystem will be available : facetime, imessage, photos, appleTV, notes… With a seamless integration to other Apple devices.
The top feature : no need for additional joysticks or controllers. Everything is controlled with eye-tracking and gestures. This is the “Apple touch”. They are not the 1st to provide a VR headset but they insist on the user interface and the design. The eye tracking tool seems to be magic. You can just select an item on the screen with your eyes. Just look at something and it will be selected, wow! To confirm, just pinch your fingers. As usual, Apple makes it easy to use. The success of the Vision Pro seems inevitable.
who knows what we can do with this
The Vision Pro is an AR/VR headset. What does that mean ?
- AR : augmented reality, so you can see the real world in it + hud (head up display) like in a video game.
- VR : virtual reality : you see only a virtual world in 3D.
The headset has a digital crown (like the Apple watch) for Immersive Environments. You can switch from AR to VR and even choose something in the middle, interesting feature I would like to see in action.
So what can we do with the Vision Pro? For now, our understanding is that we can work with it. You can see 3, 4 or more big screens to boost your productivity 😞. You can watch AppleTV and Disney+ like in a movie theater. You can record video and then replay it and see it in 3D like IRL. You can see the world with augmented reality, you can type on a virtual keyboard but the device is designed to be controlled most of the time by eye tracking and voice. No need to type, it’s for the boomers.
Facetime is also available on the Vision Pro. OK, but guys, how does it work ? How can you see my face if I wear a mask ? In fact, it looks like you will see the faces of the people you call with facetime and they will see an avatar of you. But not an avatar like anime emoji or a cartoon like you. No, they will see a meta human that looks like you. I’m not prepared for this crazy world.
If you have a look at the video from Apple, you’ll understand what they think we can do with it. For now, Apple just wants to show the potential of the device. Like the Apple Watch gen1, it’s just a test. The first Apple Watch had a terrible battery life and few apps. The end users, the developers, the market have designed what we can really do with it and the people have confirmed what they really want to do with it. I think it’s the same for the Vision Pro. The basics are there from Apple (photo, notes, mail, etc) but we are not prepared for what crazy dev and designers can create for it.
Let's think about it. Maybe they can build a Tetris game controlled only by the eyes or a FPS game. We can imagine a shooting game and you control the target with your eyes and you shoot with your fingers. Maybe a 3D modeling software can be relevant using a headset. In fact, all the crazy ideas are already there, at least in the mind of the entrepreneurs. It looks like Apple will bring quality compared to existing headsets. If you ever tried the Oculus headset from Meta, you may think it’s ok for gaming but not great to read text as the resolution of the screens (one for each eye) are not so good.
My advice, hire a dev to create the next flappy bird like for the Vision Pro and become a millionaire.
a device for your grandmother
I think Apple is ready to set the trend. The quality and the design will help the end users to want to use it. People buy 600$ Apple audio headsets after all, so why not buy several high quality screens, a macbook, a magic keyboard and mouse in one device. In the end the cost is reasonable compared to the cost of these devices. Apple is clear about the Vision Pro : this is the next computer, a “spatial computer”. Your grandmother will use only this device to browse the Internet, it will be even easier than using her lovely iPad. You can be sure that every tech giant has a Vision pro like product in R&D right now.
We are so connected, the average screen time in the world is 7h per day. I guess this is the main activity for humans in 2023. Where are we going ? The vision pro is the last step before transhumanism. After this, Elon Musk will insert a chipset in everybody’s brain => Neuralink. Please have a look at the Neuralink website and get freaked out. For now, Apple is just selling a mask and I’m pretty sure it will be designed to be as addictive as possible. This is the main reason I think this product will succeed, the fanboys will be amazed, the normal people will follow the trend. Some applications will be available only using this kind of device (or it will be too difficult to do it with an old school laptop). Everybody else will be addicted to these new range of products to buy.
the world is changing faster and faster
Lets see the positive things : sorry but I can’t find positive things about it quickly. Not that easy to find really useful use cases for a VR headset, immersion maybe or we can work from home. No need to brush your hair, behind the mask your avatar will always be young and pretty. Maybe our future will be to stay at home all the time and interact with people only in the digital world. Transhumanism will be the new standard to stay competitive against AI or just to understand it, we will be super productive. AI will guide us from birth to death, and the demographic will be controlled by the government which will be also controlled by AI. Sorry I’m writing a sci-fi movie. As always, if we can dream it, we can do it, so who knows what the world will look like in a century.
Vladimir
