I know, the first model hasn’t even gone on sale, and we’re already talking about a future Vision Pro headset, but blame Apple, not us!
The company has just filed a patent application for a method of allowing a future model to automatically adjust its fit and display positions to suit different users, which would make it more practical to share between several people …
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Apple Vision Pro was announced in June at WWDC 2023, and the product won’t hit stores until 2024. However, in the meantime, Apple has released the visionOS SDK so that developers can build and test Apple Vision Pro apps on a Mac before the official launch. And surprisingly, someone managed to port a Windows XP virtual machine to visionOS.
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While some rolled their eyes when Apple described Vision Pro as a spatial computer, instead of a headset, I didn’t. That’s because, to me, having virtual Mac monitors in front of my eyes, no matter where I am, is by far the most exciting use case for the device.
At a minimum, it could transform the way I work when away from my home office – and in the longer term, it could potentially be a great way to work even when at home. So when I discovered I could try out this idea on the Meta Quest 2, I couldn’t wait to do so …
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An Apple patent granted last week described a wide range of potential Vision Pro accessories, and another specifically describes a hardware device designed to turn your desk – or other flat surface – into a virtual Magic Trackpad, with full gesture support.
At first glance, the patent is a somewhat odd one: using one piece of physical hardware to help emulate a virtual version of another piece of physical hardware, but we can see some potential benefits to Apple’s approach …
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Yesterday’s earnings numbers didn’t contain any major surprises, but there were a few interesting takeouts from the analyst call which followed. This includes the fact that CEO Tim Cook uses his Vision Pro every day.
It was also revealed that most iPhones are now purchased through the iPhone Upgrade Program, trade-in, or some kind of instalment plan, and this is part of the secret to Apple’s success in a difficult economy …
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A newly published Apple patent describes how Vision Pro displays use technology designed to reduce both motion sickness and eyestrain.
While motion sickness is a known concern with head-mounted displays, an eyestrain issue caused by the illusions they create is something I hadn’t encountered before …
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Last week, Apple opened applications for the Vision Pro developer kit as well as in-person developer labs around the world. Thus far, however, the demand for those in-person developer labs has reportedly been lower than expected – particularly in the United States.
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Just in case you thought Apple’s spatial computer wasn’t sufficiently expensive, a newly granted patent describes the possibility of a wide range of Vision Pro accessories.
These include additional cameras, for an even wider field of view, and a range of different sensors to add capabilities to the headset …
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Apple opened applications for the Vision Pro developer kit on Monday, which means the headset will soon be in the hands of people outside of the company. Apple, however, is going to extreme lengths to ensure no details about the Vision Pro developer kit leak to the public…and to make sure one of them doesn’t get left behind in a bar.
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Apple last month released the visionOS SDK so developers can work on apps for Apple Vision Pro ahead of the official launch in 2024. At the time, we found out some unannounced details about the device. Now with the second beta of visionOS available to developers, we have a few more tidbits to share.
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Apple this week announced a new series of events called “Meet with App Store experts.” Throughout the month of August, the company will hold online and in-person sessions where developers working with Apple platforms can come together to learn more about App Store features. In addition, there will also be special sessions focused on Apple Vision Pro.
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Apple released the first-ever version of the visionOS SDK back in June, and now it’s following that up with the second release. The company announced on its developer website today that visionOS 1 beta 2 is now available.
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Apple Vision Pro won’t hit stores until next year. However, Apple said in June that developers could apply for a Developer Kit to test their apps ahead of the official launch. As of today, developers can now apply for an Apple Vision Pro Developer Kit.
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Technically, there won’t be any shortage of Vision Pro apps at launch, given that existing iPad apps will run on the platform. But that’s much like arguing that there was no shortage of iPad apps when the device was launched, because iPhone apps ran on the tablet.
Porting apps to Apple’s spatial computer in a way that takes full advantage of the very different environment of Vision Pro takes work – and early signs aren’t looking good …
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With the visionOS SDK and simulator now available, developers have started showing off what they have planned for Vision Pro. Widgetsmith developer David Smith has published some in-depth blog posts on his early experience designing for visionOS that showcase the design process and considerations.
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It’s as yet unclear how many Vision Pro games we can expect. Apple very much positioned its spatial computer as a productivity and communications device – and the price certainly makes it an expensive proposition for gaming use – but the company did mention during the keynote that Unity would be providing a visionOS games development platform, PolySpatial.
Unity is now inviting visionOS developers to apply for access to a beta, making it easy to port existing Unity-based games to the headset …
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Minimizing video lag is crucial to mixed-reality headsets which blend virtual content with live video overlays of the real world, and we’re today learning more about how Apple ensures that Vision Pro performance is up to the task.
A supply-chain report says that the new R1 chip, which processes all the cameras and sensor inputs, is being packaged with custom-designed low-latency memory. This setup is said to double the performance over what would otherwise be possible …
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Bloomberg today released a report describing some of the planning going on in the Apple retail division to prepare for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, previously announced as available in the US “early next year.”
The report says that — at least out the gate — Vision Pro will only be purchasable by appointment. Apple retail workers will help ensure customers get a Vision Pro with an appropriately fitting headband and light seal. It will represent the most logistically complex rollout ever for an Apple product.
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Have a Meta Quest sitting around? You can now experience a rough estimation of what using visionOS on an actual headset will be like. No need to spend $3,500 on Vision Pro or whatever the going rate for a time machine to next year costs these days.
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Update: The album is now live on Apple Music after what has been described as a “misunderstanding” between Apple and digital aggregator Ditto Music.
A Vision Pro parody ad on an album featuring actor Stephen Fry has been banned from an album on Apple Music. The spoof ad for an iHead product was actually created some four years before Apple actually launched a headset (sorry, spatial computer), and you can watch it below …
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If you thought Apple Vision Pro was pricey at $3,500, wait until you hear about this one. Caviar, a luxury jewelry company, has unveiled its customized version of Vision Pro made with 18-karat. Plus, it even has flip-down shades to hide the divisive EyeSight feautre and “protect your privacy.”
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When Apple unveiled Vision Pro at WWDC, there was one thing the keynote and subsequent demos didn’t focus on: gaming. There are a multitude of reasons why the first version of Vision Pro might not be an ideal gaming headset, but one of the biggest is Apple’s lack of support for VR game controllers.
Bloomberg now reports that Apple “isn’t planning its own Vision Pro game controller, nor is it actively planning support for third-party VR accessories.”
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Everyone I know who has tried Apple’s upcoming spatial computer has been impressed, but the big question remains: What is Vision Pro for? Who will buy it, and why?
Having had the opportunity to use a similar high-end mixed reality headset, and to consider some of the use cases of that device, I think I’m now a step closer to being able to at least partially answer that question …
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We’ve been keeping a close eye on the ticker tape (ok, the Stocks app) as it seems that any day now could see a milestone APPL $3T valuation.
But as the company gets ever closer to hitting that market cap, a new Bloomberg piece argues that the recent announcement of Vision Pro likely plays little role in this …
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