Apple Vision Pro: A milestone for augmented reality

This is not a drill, it has finally happened, after years of rumours, anticipation, and suspense, Apple has finally unveiled their entrant to the AR universe.

The Apple Vision Pro. Wondering what it looks like? Well, just imagine a pair of ski goggles, but George Lucas designed them, there you go. They’re pictured just below in case you needed confirmation that you imagined the exact right thing.

Jokes aside, the headset looks incredibly futuristic (and cool), but many were left wondering after the initial excitement, does anyone want this type of device in their life. It was not like when the Apple Watch launched, or AirPods, which had a clear use in established markets.

This piece of hardware is new to many, in fact, it might even be the first introduction to many, but isn’t that what makes it that much more exciting?

This device has the opportunity to completely redefine the way we interact with the world around us, and we’re here to give you our initial thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro.

Our initial thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro

Every media channel has been simply overtaken by this news, even if you are not the mildest bit interested in it, seeing news about the Apple Vision Pro is simply unavoidable, this speaks volumes about its importance and about Apple’s intentions to bring this tech to the forefront of people’s lives.

We have seen great investment from startups and billions from Meta (Facebook) in recent years, but none of them has been able to capture the attention that Apple has. Even though many were not interested in augmented reality devices yesterday, they probably feel a little different today.

So we have put together a few points that we took away from the initial introduction of the new spatial computing Apple device:

Welcome first-timers and hello again doubters

Apple’s game-changing entrance into the AR/VR market promises to revolutionise the landscape. It’s also paving the way for many first-timers, it may even be many people’s first true introduction to this fantastic technology.

If this was you, then welcome, AR is truly remarkable and will change how we observe and interact with everyday life. Apple launching into this market is incredibly exciting as it means they have just opened the door for waves of new audiences, interest, and investment into the technology.

Many had also brushed over AR and VR, thinking that it was more for gaming or a novelty without any practical use. But we expect many perceptions to have changed after one of the most influential companies in the world promoted it so expertly, and will likely continue to develop it for decades to come.

No mention of AI, strictly speaking

Artificial intelligence: AKA the buzzword of 2023. AI is the new hot topic and everyone wants a piece of the pie, as the pie is worth billions. AI has completely taken over the technology space this year, but Apple still announced an MR headset, and the craziest thing is that they did not even mention the words ‘artificial intelligence’ or ‘AI’ once.

It’s hard to believe considering Google’s recent I/O keynote felt like they were being forced to mention AI at every single opportunity. But Apple has always strived to be different.

Although they did not coin the terms, they still referred to AI, and many of their products (including Vision Pro’s) features will be powered by “machine learning”, which is what AI essentially is. They used other phrases or ways of saying AI without mentioning the word AI, it was very clearly a term that was purposefully being avoided.

This approach was likely taken to keep Apple separate from the rest of the tech giants and not scare audiences, as AI’s power has become quite daunting in 2023.

The hardware looked crazy, and the software sounded amazing

New tech has habits of looking a bit… abnormal. We agree they do look like ski goggles but compared to other headsets, they look a lot better and a lot slimmer. We think the reaction to the look of them is getting a lot of unnecessary negative press, it’s not like AR/VR headsets are new. They have been around for over a decade and look incredibly similar.

Anyway, onto what really stole the show, the software, UX/UI, and intuitive nature of the Vision Pro. In classic Apple style, the Vision Pro works exceptionally with other Apple products, it is a totally new product that adopts everything people love about Apple products and software into one device. It may be hard to see for some people, but this device took giant steps towards the future of AR and what people see as the ultimate device: glasses.

This Apple headset has put into perspective that we are not quite as close to glasses as we thought, but it also put into perspective the possibility that is there.

A price tag that raised eyebrows

In 2022, the Meta Quest Pro came out priced at $1499.99, and earlier in 2023 the price was reduced to $999.99, and even despite the price drop, it has been a tough sell for Meta. So, how does Apple have the right to come out and price a headset at over double the original price and think it’s going to do well in a heavily criticised market?

The truth is we don’t know if the price is justified just yet. To us, it looks like it is priced that high because of the technological power within the Vision Pro, it sounds capable of so much and if it lives up to all this, we think the price is probably fair.

Although the price confirms that only the super-fans and technological savvy will be the first to purchase, this is hardly unusual for Apple products to take this life cycle. But just like the iPhone, Watch, and AirPods, it’s virtually impossible to go a day without seeing 60 people using them all, we expect the Vision Pro (or other variations) will become as common.

The Vision Pro also has the potential to replace other devices, potentially making it a more solid investment.

No gaming tunnel vision

Rather than limiting its vision to the gaming sphere, Apple took a leap, envisioning its Vision Pro being used in every aspect of everyday life. From internet browsing to work, and entertainment to communication, Apple showcased a huge range of capabilities, and only a little on gaming.

This was likely done to not only broaden their target audience but also to showcase that AR and VR are not use-restricted to gamers, which is what so many believe. Apple’s genius has always been to appeal to the masses by innovating the way that we spend our time every day, and they have done it yet again.

This is just the beginning

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the reveal is that it is incredibly likely that the Vision Pro is only the first spawn of Apple’s headset/glasses product range. There has clearly been a lot of financial and time investment into creating this headset, and we highly doubt it’s going to stop there, knowing Apple, it is the first of a sea of products

A bright future for augmented reality (and REYDAR)

What makes the Apple Vision Pro truly remarkable are its intuitive controls. With just the movement of your hands, eyes, and even your mouth, you have the power to explore, interact, and experience virtual and 3D content like never before. Thanks to integrated 3D mapping and LiDAR technology, the possibilities are endless.

Apple has promised an exceptional developer toolchain and its partnership with Unity means that REYDAR is perfectly positioned to deliver exceptional applications, models, and experiences for spatial computing. As a team with over a decade of experience in developing virtual solutions, we are eagerly anticipating the incredible opportunities this new headset will unlock.

Hold on tight, because the future of spatial computing is here, and REYDAR is ready to seize it with both hands. The possibilities are limitless, and we can’t wait to share our progress with you!

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Contact REYDAR today and let our expert team empower your business for the future. Let’s create immersive experiences that captivate your audience.

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