Apple reveals its Vision for the future of immersive tech

After years of leaks and speculation, Apple has unveiled the Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The slick glass and metal design will rest heavy on the heads of deep-pocketed early adopters. The crown will also rest heavy on Apple.

The Vision Pro is the iPhone-maker’s first foray into a new product category since it launched the Apple Watch in 2015, stepping into a ring where Meta, Pico and Magic Leap are already contenders. The public is watching the Cupertino company closely, eyeing new opportunities for businesses to step into. These are big expectations to fill. Is Apple seeing the future in 20/20, or does the Vision Pro need a few wipes to clear the view?

Let’s start with the white-silicon elephant in the room. If we compare the Vision Pro as an enterprise-level device for businesses, the price comparisons are stark. At $3,499, the Vision Pro is one of the most expensive headsets in the market. It outprices Meta’s Quest Pro ($1,500) and the Pico 4 enterprise version (€899). All of the headsets offer arguably similar benefits; a more immersive way to work on projects, with screens that can be moved or adjusted within a virtual space. The price rippled around the world – and within Apple’s halls, too:

@jakekrol Apple Vision Pro is $3,499! #wwdc #tech #applevisionpro ♬ original sound – Jake Krol

The counterpoints rest on what devices can be eliminated via the Vision Pro. TVs, sound systems and webcams all collapse into an all-in-one solution. That cuts the fat on a work desk. Plus, its visual language is very different from Meta, Pico and HTC.

Other headset manufacturers principally focus on an enclosed virtual system where people work in virtual worlds. HTC and Meta also offer passthrough systems too, where people can also see the world around them. Apple’s competitive advantage is that its passthrough is leading in its kind, allowing people to place virtual windows within their own reality. It blends the virtual and real together so seamlessly and smoothly that you can converse with people across your desk.

Apple’s focus on human interactions is perhaps the most important aspect of the whole presentation. Office life is not just staring at screens and reading through presentations (though much of it is). It rests on the intangibles of conversing with colleagues, or lifting one’s head from a desk to talk over sports or impromptu ideas. Apple recognised that work is a blend of virtual work with real-life activities, and created a device that blends the both more seamlessly than ever before.

The Vision Pro allows people to step into the user’s reality to have conversations, or to maintain eye contact through its outward-facing monitor panels. The design difference may roll into a competitive advantage compared to other headsets.

While the concept is sound, the execution slightly misses the mark. Eyes are vital for connection and communication, and the visual representations on the Vision Pro seem murky and inauthentic. Who would trust a father who monitors his kids through a vizor? Or how inauthentic would it be to take 3D photographs with a headset, almost like a veil behind a tender moment? If Apple was positioning it differently from competitors, then these wrinkles need to be ironed out with time.

But in the end, it is up to developers to decide how the product will be used. Take the aformentioned Apple Watch as an example. The company released the device in 2015, then subsequently tinkered it to fit with how users were actually utilising the wristwear. Users gravitated towards the health benefits, and subsequent versions doubled down on its fitness capabilities. Apple now accounts for a sizable chink of smartwatch shipments, and its innovation came from seeing what would happen in the 2010s.

The same will happen with the Vision Pro. Apple announced the device at WWDC to bring developers on board, so that they can “code new worlds” within Apple’s flagship device. These developers will tinker, innovate, and launch what they suspect will be the killer apps of the hardware – and we will wait and see who will win. I personally suspect high-end applications will bubble to the top of the virtual app store. Free-to-play games do not feel like a good fit here, as users already spend $3,500 to play around. Subscription titles will likely do well, as passionate sports watchers will add new functionalities to enhance their viewing experience – think statistics during NFL, for example. The best apps may be the slick and luxurious kinds that cater towards the affluent user-base.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for computing,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook at the device’s launch on Monday. “Just as the Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro introduces us to spatial computing. Built upon decades of Apple innovation, Vision Pro is years ahead and unlike anything created before – with a revolutionary new input system and thousands of groundbreaking innovations. It unlocks incredible experiences for our users and exciting new opportunities for our developers.”

Apple has invested years of R&D and acquisitions into a device that directly battles Meta, Pico, HTC and others for the headset crown. The winner will not only be the one that delivers high-quality or valuable hardware, but the software which complements the kit. WWDC was a key moment for Apple to get the buy-in it needs – we will need to wait a few months to see who codes these new realities.