Apple Vision Pro Available February 2
Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News):
Apple today announced Apple Vision Pro will be available beginning Friday, February 2, at all U.S. Apple Store locations and the U.S. Apple Store online. Vision Pro is a revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment. Vision Pro seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world and unlocks powerful spatial experiences in visionOS, controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — a user’s eyes, hands, and voice. An all-new App Store provides users with access to more than 1 million compatible apps across iOS and iPadOS, as well as new experiences that take advantage of the unique capabilities of Vision Pro. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro begin Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. PST.
I still think it looks technically impressive, but I don’t know what I’d do with one.
Their headline features mention “an infinite canvas for productivity,” “the ultimate entertainment experience,” and “new gaming experiences” – the three key areas I plan to use the device myself, particularly when paired with macOS as a monitor. Apple also mentioned the Band on the device for the first time, which will likely be necessary to comfortably use the device for all three of these tasks for more than a short period.
Viewing Memories and interacting with other Vision Pro users’ Personas also sound like fascinating experiences, but I have a feeling those will be more valuable over time and a bit less so immediately at launch.
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In many ways, I’ve spent the last 10 years working on Workflow and now Shortcuts to build out robust voice interactions for almost every part of my computing experience – now, there’s a truly hands-free device on the way that’s deeply integrated with Shortcuts by default.
Good surprise: Top strap option included in the box.
Bad surprise: 256 GB base storage.
Apple listed some items that will be included with the Vision Pro, including a Dual Loop Band, an Apple Polishing Cloth, an external battery pack, a USB-C power adapter, and more.
It’s new territory for a device to cost more if you require corrective lenses, but it’s the nature of Vision Pro that it will not fit over glasses, so there’s no way around this. People accustomed to $10 readers from the drug store may be surprised at these prices, but these $100–150 seems fair for high-quality lenses. I suspect, though, that there will spring a cottage industry for lower-priced third-party lens inserts.
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Also unclear at the moment: How many different Light Seals are available? What app will online buyers users to scan their faces for sizing? How much will extra Light Seals (for additional users) cost?
And how much will the storage tiers above 256 GB cost?
Apple has revealed that the external battery supports up to 2.5 hours of 2D video playback, half an hour more than it offers in “general use” on a single charge.
One big question mark is the retail experience, which Apple Store employees are being trained on now, according to reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and others. The Vision Pro is perhaps the most challenging product from a store experience perspective, and it will be fascinating to see exactly how the company handles the sales and fit process—especially for physical stores versus online.
Since June, I have been thinking of Vision as being more Mac-like, in part because both were built for multitasking. The more I think about it however, the more I think that Vision is really a rethinking of how multitasking iPad apps should work.
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My conclusion was that the only way Apple could deliver an information rich multitasking experience with iPads Pro would be better support for large screens.
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Even without any modifications, windowed apps that feel cramped in Stage Manager on iPad will suddenly feel much more natural on Vision because they can be maximally information rich without having to be information dense.
Previously:
Update (2024-01-09): See also: Apple’s “Get Ready” launch ad (via John Gruber).
