The Apple Vision Pro, is now available for U.S. customers to pre-order on the Apple Store online & sales starting in physical Apple Stores on Feb. 2nd
- January 19, 2024
- 11:32 pm
Apple vision pro, After years of rumors and speculation, Apple’s first computer headset, Apple Vision Pro, is now available for online pre-order on the Apple Store for American customers (available in physical Apple stores starting February 2).
Initial reviews of the device have been positive, but the hefty price tag ($3,499 upfront or $291.58 in 12 monthly installments, financed) is certainly a barrier to entry for those outside the high-income bracket (and it doesn’t even include the $149 ZEISS Optical Inserts necessary for people with prescription glasses).
Spatial computing > Metaverse?
There is no mention of ‘Augmented Reality,’ ‘Mixed Reality,’ or ‘Virtual Reality’ in Apple’s marketing for this headset, which displays computer graphics in front of the user’s eyes with a 23 million-pixel micro-OLED display and milliseconds of photon-to-photon latency.
Neither is there any mention of ‘Metaverse,’ a term imagined by science fiction author Neal Stephenson in his seminal 1992 cyberpunk dystopian novel ‘Snow Crash’ and later inspired Facebook to rebrand its entire parent company as Meta.
Instead, Apple prefers to use the term ‘Spatial Computing’ for this device, and it makes some sense, considering it can project computer graphics and overlays in front of your physical space.
Still, Apple’s Vision Pro could be the device that ultimately brings all these concepts – Metaverse, AR/VR/XR – more into the mainstream for audiences, or at least for broader public awareness. Is ‘Spatial Computing’ a more acceptable, user-friendly term to start adopting all these technologies for consumers?
Apple vs. Meta even as the headset market shrinks
In this field, Apple’s main competition so far is with Meta and its Quest 3 headset, which sells at a somewhat more affordable $499.99, but Meta had to face poor PR for many years with its initial ‘Horizons World’ graphics, which looked underdeveloped and had issues with avatars’ legs. While other potential players like Microsoft with its HoloLens and Google with its Glass and Cardboard headsets have all taken a back seat, dismissing or de-prioritizing their headsets in favor of more mobile devices and cloud-based apps and software.
Apple has already lined up a long list of content partners like Disney and Warner Bros to provide immersive media, such as 3D movies, on its headset. This includes titles like ‘Dune’ and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ potentially making it more appealing to cinephiles. Naturally, it will also be available to stream Apple TV+ content.
However, Meta has several shares and integrations, reaching even popular games like Roblox and Beat Saber in Quest 3. So far, Meta claims to have sold over 20 million Quest headsets across all generations.
Recently, though, the company has hinted that under the leadership of its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it has given priority to its ‘Reality Labs’ division over the headset, focusing more on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and specifically on Augmented General Intelligence (AGI).
And according to a recent report by CNBC, sales of headsets across all brands plummeted by 40% year-over-year to $664 million in 2023, which was a significant drop from a 2% decrease a year ago.
The big question is whether Apple, entering (or pioneering) a new computing category, will continue to advance the market with this high-priced new device? And will third-party developers invest money, time, and effort into creating new experiences for Apple Vision Pro and/or Meta Quest, and will they see enough potential audience for it to be worthwhile?
