Apple Vision Pro Priced Starting at $3499, Will Launch in Early 2024 in the U.S.

[transmaster]

My First Immersion in Apple Vision Pro: Heavy, Man!

This morning, I spent half an hour trying the Apple Vision Pro headset. Here’s the punch line: This is one freaking mind-blowing piece of…

medium.com

 

[Datalinks]

Are they shipping this without a case? Really curious about the case

 

[tivoboy]

You realize that there was a significant period of time where laptops had the same battery life right? Same with video cameras. People would carry around extra batteries on the regular for that reason. And those laptops could do a lot less than this device will do.

And that time, was over 15 years ago and at that time there were few other products that one could use as an alternative with longer battery life (portable DVD players, portable storage based movie players).… today, every product that would do at least a movie can last 2 hours or more.

My hope is that the apple battery pack will at least allow AC/DC pass through to the pack, enabling a user to bring an ADDITIONAL ~ 100Wh batter with USB or PD power. Not the best option, but option NTL

 

[_Spinn_]

Definitely the most technologically advanced headset but I’m not interested. It still has all the same flaws as existing headsets.

Really feels like they took what Microsoft did with the HoloLens and gave it the Apple treatment.

 

[transmaster]

 

[Ctrlos]

I think the bigger question is - what can't this device be used for in the future?

Many of the criticisms it faces currently will likely go away with time. It should become less expensive, thinner, lighter, hopefully battery life will improve as well. Maybe the headset can even shrink to a normal-looking pair of glasses one day. It won't be useless if you leave the controller at home because you can still navigate the interface with your eyes, voice and fingers. You basically have a 4k display right in front of you, regardless of where you are.

Social acceptance is something that can evolve with time as well (I recall initially feeling awkward about going outdoors with my first pair of AirPods because it looked so different, but wireless earbuds are now the norm).

But Apple needs to start somewhere, and I feel in this regard, the Vision Pro shows a lot more promise than the Meta Quest (because people have shown that they do not want Facebook to be a part of their future).

Unfortunately it remains an antisocial VR headset no matter how Apple paints it. Looking through it at your kids birthday party or turning your ceiling into the sky rather than just going outside is a little too dystopian for my liking.

If Apple want to bring the price down the first thing that will go in gen 2 is the expensive glass front, the weird external eye display and the 3D camera Nintendo entertained us with for 5 minutes back in 2013. Getting rid of the glass would probably halve the weight s well. By version 3 I would Expect it to look like every other VR device going.

 

[Ctrlos]

That vide fails to touch upon the fact that the high price makes it a
piece of industrial equipment by default. Used at home, the headset doesn’t do anything a cheaper device cannot already do. What to play on my private 100” display: Horizon Chase or Horizon Forbidden West?

 

[transmaster]

That vide fails to touch upon the fact that the high price makes it a
piece of industrial equipment by default. Used at home, the headset doesn’t do anything a cheaper device cannot already do. What to play on my private 100” display: Horizon Chase or Horizon Forbidden West?

And I remember the snarking about the iPad. Why do I need an iPad I have a iPhone. Apple Watch who's going to going but that.

 

[BuddyTronic]

That is because you are seeing CGI projection, didn't you pick up on that. You hold the Vision up in front of your face and it is scanned into the device. This is the image that goes out on the internet and what people see in the Vision Pro's front.

Yah I put /s - it's the cool way to say "sarcasm"

Yah - I guess sometimes when we post things it can be taken the wrong way. Anyways - yah

 

[BuddyTronic]

I think the bigger question is - what can't this device be used for in the future?

Many of the criticisms it faces currently will likely go away with time. It should become less expensive, thinner, lighter, hopefully battery life will improve as well. Maybe the headset can even shrink to a normal-looking pair of glasses one day. It won't be useless if you leave the controller at home because you can still navigate the interface with your eyes, voice and fingers. You basically have a 4k display right in front of you, regardless of where you are.

Social acceptance is something that can evolve with time as well (I recall initially feeling awkward about going outdoors with my first pair of AirPods because it looked so different, but wireless earbuds are now the norm).

But Apple needs to start somewhere, and I feel in this regard, the Vision Pro shows a lot more promise than the Meta Quest (because people have shown that they do not want Facebook to be a part of their future).

That review by Mac Rumours really described it as an amazing immersive and unforgettable experience. The big VR monitors stood out. This will be a productivity tool and more.

 

[Ctrlos]

And I remember the snarking about the iPad. Why do I need an iPad I have a iPhone. Apple Watch who's going to going but that.

I don't buy that comparison. I've been an early adopter my whole life. I had the Samsung Q1 tablet in 2006 and realised that despite its shortcomings it represented a future of computing. I'd been wanting a smartwatch since watching Inspector Gadget and James Bond as a kid and bought the Sony Ericsson Liveview in 2011. The iPad and Watch were always going to be huge and I bought both 1st gen models in a heartbeat.

I played with the 1st gen Oculus in my lab and played a lot on the original PSVR. Tetris Effect and Rez Infinite were worth the price of entry alone with the black backgrounds helping with the limited arc of vision. The isolation of the headset added to the gameplay instead of taking away.

Even if the Vision Pro was more affordable I still wouldn't buy one. Its all well and good playing an isolating videogame when the family have gone to bed and you don't want to disturb anyone but I just don't see how Apple's VR headset (which is really what it is) offers anything a cheaper model does not.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I'd argue IF the tech gets smaller, the apps become more compelling... the price doesn't need to go anywhere near as low as $500 to blow up big... tons of people are wearing $800 Apple Watch Ultras right now, using $1000 iPads etc... I think you get the headset around $1499-1999 and it will be a BIG thing.

I think the £500 price is quoted because there are already VR/AR headsets out now around that price point, and Apple have produced something that is 87.5% more expensive, so are clearly going after the niche segment for now. I think your suggestion Apple could aim for the £1499-£1999 market is still setting itself as niche IMO. Sure many people buy Apple Watch Ultra's and spend £1k+ on iPads and iPhones, but the vast majority of Apple users 'don't' spend this kind of money too.

Manufacturers have been releasing VR headsets for the past 30+ years now and its never excelerated into a mainstream product for many reasons, some of which are a lot to do with marketing and devices being uncompetitive on price. Apple have unveiled a product that appears to have the potential to be absolutely amazing, but the reception I have seen so far is mainly a criticism about the price and questions asked as to who this product is supposed to be aimed at.