Vision Pro

Meta has filed a patent for a method of replicating Vision Pro’s EyeSight feature in its own virtual reality headsets.

It’s not surprising that Meta is keeping a close eye on Vision Pro, and looking to see what lessons it can learn for its own Quest headsets; it’s somewhat more surprising that it would seek to copy a feature which has been poorly received, and that Apple is likely to drop …

When Apple Vision Pro was first unveiled to the world, Apple repeatedly emphasized it was a ‘spatial computer,’ not a VR headset. Demos showed it doing computer-y things, and the press release claimed “Vision Pro enables users to be even more productive.”

Since getting into users’ hands, it’s become clear that Vision Pro isn’t necessarily the best platform for getting things done. But visionOS 2 aims to change that, with two key features that might just make the Vision Pro into an actually useful computer.

Apple is expected to release public betas any day now for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and more.

One update that won’t be getting a public beta, though? visionOS 2, as Apple’s beta website confirms that the Vision Pro won’t be part of this summer’s public beta cycle.

The flow of Vision Pro apps dropped dramatically after an initial flurry at launch, says a new report, with many top iOS developers yet to bring their apps to the platform.

The spatial computer is battling the Catch-22 of not having a killer app to drive sales, and therefore not having a large enough market to attract developers …

Vision Pro is available today in Apple stores in five more countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.

The global rollout of the spatial headset kicked off on June 14, with pre-orders opening in three countries …

Apple Vision Pro launches in the UK this Friday, July 12, so Tim Cook has been busy talking up the product in the press. In a new interview with The Sun, he explains what he thinks the device is good for—and even shares that he is still using Vision Pro every single day.

Market intelligence company IDC has been monitoring US Vision Pro sales, and says the current data indicates they will plummet by 75% this quarter.

The firm believes the device won’t achieve 500k sales in its first year, and that only the launch of a cheaper model can drive growth …

Meta Quest’s attempts to compete with Vision Pro using a headset costing a fraction of the price continues.

We reported last month that the company was experimenting with freeform window placement in an attempt to match the flexibility of visionOS, and Mark Zuckerberg has today shown-off the latest version of this, with six windows …

Apple recently announced a major firmware update coming to the latest AirPods Pro, which enables new head-shaking gestures to answer or reject calls more discreetly. Now it seems that the company is also working on similar head gestures for Apple Vision Pro, at least based on a new patent.

See Vision Pro update at the end of the piece.

When asked why Apple Intelligence won’t be available on older iPhones, the company has so far said that the chips simply weren’t sufficiently powerful to provide a good experience. Responses would take too long on older chips.

But many have said that if their phones weren’t up to the task, why not just use Apple Intelligence servers – aka Private Cloud Compute? After all, that’s what already happens with a lot of Siri requests today. We now have an answer to this …

In-store Vision Pro demos are reportedly set to see two big changes this month, as Apple seeks to increase the wow factor and boost the appeal of the device.

The first is that customers will be given the opportunity to view their own photos on the headset, something Apple hopes will have a bigger emotional impact than viewing stock ones …

Vision Pro pre-orders open today in five more countries, just as the first customers in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore take delivery of theirs.

Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK will be able to pre-order the spatial computer later today, and take delivery in a fortnight’s time …

The first customers outside the US have been able to buy Vision Pro this morning, and Apple has shared photos from stores in three countries.

The photos show the demo zones set up for customers to try the spatial computer, as well as some of those taking delivery of the device …

Apple Vision Pro still lacks an official YouTube app, and while Google has already confirmed its plans to build a visionOS app, users still have to rely on Safari to watch online videos on Apple’s $3,500 headset. Luckily, Juno – a third-party app – brings a better YouTube experience to Vision Pro users. Now the app has been updated with many new features, including 360-degree video support.

One of the many differences between Meta Quest headsets and Vision Pro is the far more flexible windowing arrangements possible on Apple’s device.

But Meta is now testing an approach which comes much closer to emulating Vision Pro’s approach, and you can get early access by joining the beta program …

Vision Pro comfort is one of the biggest limiting factors for the device right now. Many owners say that the weight makes itself known in even moderate use, and my own experience was that I felt both the weight and heat in session lasting around an hour.

But the company may have a solution for either this or future Apple Vision products, as outlined in a newly-granted patent …

It’s been consistently reported that Apple has been struggling to develop a lower-cost version of the Vision Pro, and that the solution might need to be a tethered Apple Vision product – with either an iPhone or a Mac providing the required processing power.

While some may see that as a big deal, there are three reasons why I’d consider it an acceptable compromise to bring the price down to a more affordable level …

Earlier this week, a report suggested that Apple has shifted its focus from developing a next-generation Vision Pro to a lower-cost version of the headset instead. A new report today sheds more light on the Apple Vision product roadmap, with some details on how Apple could cut costs in the future.

Apple has reportedly stopped development of the Vision Pro’s formal successor. Instead, the company is doubling down on releasing a more affordable, lighter-weight Vision product that is more enticing to the masses.

I’ve already written about why I think this is a good move, but the lack of a Vision Pro 2 could mean Apple finds themselves in an awkward position. What happens if the cheaper Vision device comes with more modern tech than its ‘Pro’ companion?

Here’s what Apple can do to upgrade the Vision Pro without needing to offer a true Vision Pro 2.

Apple has fixed a Vision Pro bug which would have allowed a website to fill your room with an unlimited number of virtual 3D objects. Those objects – flying bats in the proof of concept – would then persist even after you quit Safari.

The bug was discovered by a cybersecurity researcher who says Apple took a lot of care to protect against this type of exploit, but it forgot one thing …

Contrary to all of its competitors in the VR headset space, the Apple Vision Pro hasn’t had much of a gaming story. Slowly, though, additional spatial titles keep getting added to Apple Arcade, including two new ones Apple just announced.