Here’s what BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman has to say:
“The first thing you feel when you put on Apple’s Vision Pro glasses is that they’re pretty comfortable. It’s as comfortable as putting on a pair of ski goggles.
I was one of the first to try the intriguing and rather expensive new mixed reality glasses after Monday’s launch in California.
Unlike its counterparts on the market, Apple has separated the battery from the product, so the glasses do not weigh on your head. The battery has to be with you connected to a cable.
Classic, minimalist Apple’s user experience, this device also gives.
When the device is turned on, you see the environment around you, but it’s not like seeing through the glass. You see it through the cameras on the front of the device. This is important for the “mixed reality” experience because virtual elements are projected into your surroundings.
You press a button on the upper right side of the glasses, and if you are using an iPhone, some application symbols appear in front of you that will be familiar to you. Like iMessage, photos, Apple TV… (The number of these will increase.)
After that, it is completely controlled by your gestures and movements. The device tracks where you look, and when you look at an app, for example, you can open it by using your thumb and forefinger together.
Apple showed me a few demos. The photo gallery was very impressive. Of course, these are very carefully prepared, beautifully shot frames.
It is possible to shoot 3D videos with the cameras on the device. While I was using it, I watched a video of a kid blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. He was so close that I almost felt like I could feel his breath.
I had a live video call with an Apple employee. I spoke to a realistic avatar instead of his real image. I don’t know how she looks as I don’t know her in real life, but the details in her skin and eyes in her avatar were quite interesting.
I watched episodes of movies staring at a virtual screen in a digitally darkened, movie theater-like room. A gigantic three-dimensional T-Rex was breathing into my face. I also saw the petals of a digital flower floating around the room during meditation.
You can adjust how much you will be in the image in front of you. The images in the glasses can cover the whole room, and they can be seen as small as a projection on the wall in front of you.
In any case, if someone is walking in front of you in real environment, you can see them.
Replying to a message in writing was very difficult for me. “Remember, this is not a finished product yet,” I said to myself each time.
Unfortunately, I can’t show you what I’m talking about because recording was forbidden during the trial. It was remarkable that no one from Apple was wearing glasses at this time. Even boss Tim Cook, or even Disney CEO Bob Iger, who described the device as “real-life magic”…
As a technology journalist, I have tried many virtual reality (VR) glasses. This was among the good. When you see the release price of $3,499, you’re already hoping it will be good.
Next year, even on sale, it will likely remain the most expensive virtual reality headset on the market. Bloomberg wrote that it is expected to sell 900,000 devices in the first year.
WHO WILL BUY THESE GLASSES?
I think Apple is playing a very clever marketing game here. I don’t know if it will hold or not.
In general, mixed reality devices cater to the gaming industry or large, extravagant experiences. It’s like killing a house-sized monster or being a rock star on stage at Wembley Stadium…
Apple, on the other hand, never mentioned the games. The message here was: Everything you do on your phone, do it bigger, brighter, and in your own home!
It was rumored that the Apple Vision Pro launch would be a big moment, representing a change, just as the iPhone did in the smartphone space.
But what if the Apple Vision Pro is the new iPhone itself?
By making this gadget a useful part of everyday life rather than offering rare excitement, Apple is aiming for the mainstream.
I’m not sure if it will work or not. Apple has a magic of its own and its users are quite loyal. On the other hand, there are some hardware hurdles when it comes to VR.
It doesn’t feel good to wear glasses for long periods of time. Some (including me) have experienced nausea.
In conclusion, I can tell you that it has been a remarkable experience.
$3499 is not a fair price for a new product. Last year, Meta said that its Quest Pro glasses would be launched at $1500. Then it dropped to $1000.
But what if you use these glasses every day?
A friend of mine who works in the fashion industry said that you should spend the most money on the clothes you wear most often.
If you spend £100 on a dress and wear it once, that single use costs £100. But if you wore it 100 times, it cost 1 pound each time.
Maybe Apple took a gamble to design this device as useful enough to make people think that way. This requires a lot of content, a lot of applications.
If you like Apple, you like mixed reality, and you have the money, you’ll probably love this device.
If this device replaces your smartphone in five years, maybe our avatars will talk about it over FaceTime as well.