Apple WWDC 2024 kicked off earlier this week. Among its general product portfolio updates, Apple gave XR the stage with massive Vision Pro announcements – namely, new regional availability and a fresh OS. As expected, the WWDC event already brought with it new opportunities for businesses and brands looking to invest in XR or debut a new product following the WWDC fallout – into the next big industry event, AWE!
While Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, assure that the Vision Pro has a future stake in the enterprise, separating its market share from Quest’s consumer focus, Apple is also carefully approaching consumer-focused branded experiences, a potentially massive opportunity for brands looking to boost their presence for the growing headset owner userbase.
Working with major corporations like Disney, Apple hopes that Vision Pro will be a tool for entertainment in between busy spatial workflows. In addition, Apple is championing Vision Pro features that allow users to capture and record personal 3D spatial recordings with a compatible device—like a new iPhone—and watch those 3D memories as immersive spatial visualizations on the MR headset.
For marketing groups, immersive media recording and streaming presents a new and exciting way to help brands and major broadcasting events engage with viewers and leverage customer data relating to their retention.
However, the correct equipment is needed to create spatial broadcasts. While simpler experiences can be achieved via consumer recording devices, higher quality and reliability are required for professional branded productions.
Famed professional media camera vendor Blackmagic is debuting a camera and editing system to enable brands to capture exciting 3D immersive experiences for delivery across Vision Pro headsets.
The Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera will debut later this year. The camera will allow brands to capture 8K 3D video with a 180-degree field of view and spatial audio effects, which combine to create immersive experiences that the firm optimises for Vision Pro delivery.
Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO, expressed his excitement about Vision Pro image capturing, which gives “professional filmmakers the tools to create remarkable stories with this powerful new format pioneered by Apple.”
Petty also added:
Built on the new URSA Cine platform, URSA Cine Immersive features a fixed, custom, stereoscopic 3D lens system with dual 8K image sensors that can capture 16 stops of dynamic range. With this innovative system, filmmakers can record remarkable moments like action-packed scenes, unique perspectives, stunning landscapes, intimate performances, and more, all with incredible fidelity, offering viewers an unparalleled sense of realism and immersion.
Moreover, to support and optimise the workflow required to create Vision Pro immersive experiences, Blackmagic is updating its professional-grade DaVinci Resolve video editing solution to support the complex new workflow.
Canon Debuts Innovative Lens for Capturing VR Content
The news comes just days after Canon debuted a lens ready to capture 3D VR content.
Cannon’s new RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens – compatible with EOS R7 cameras – aims to support emerging spatial recording trends by debuting a product the firm believes will bring an accessible route into capturing VR content.
Cannon will debut the lens later this month for $1,099.00, just in time for Apple’s international rollout of the Vision Pro. Much like the new Blackmagic solution, it appears that leading video-capturing solution providers are seeing the value in Vision Pro and XR branded content, leading to the new capturing technology seen following WWDDC.
Brian Mahar, Senior Vice President and General Manaof ger Canon USA, added:
The RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens offers a solution to the growing demand for more affordable and accessible tools in the VR market. Whether you’re a social creator looking to expand your content into VR, or a filmmaker interested in making the jump from 2D to 3D content, this lens enables creators of all levels to comfortably explore VR content creation and generate amazing content.
The RF-S3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens offers a 144-degree wide-angle view and uses equidistant projection to support various VR content creation. It can be used handheld or in a static position. The lens features one-shot autofocus, Left/Right focus adjustment, and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) to minimize ghosting and supports additional filters. Canon also provides the EOS VR Utility software as a separate subscription service to streamline the editing process for post-production workflows.
Are 3D spatial content creation devices a new tech trend that leading brands should take note of? If Vision Pro’s future does take off, a brand new marketing opportunity will emerge, allowing brands to transform their customer experience and engagement expectations.
Apple Vision Pro International Pre Orders Open this Month
During Apple’s WWDC 2024 kick-off keynote, the company discussed various updates to its product portfolio. During this, Apple unveiled VisionOS 2, the latest version of its spatial computing operating system, and international availability for the Vision Pro.
At WWDC, Tim Cook said:
The enthusiasm for Apple Vision Pro has been extraordinary, and we are thrilled to introduce the magic of spatial computing to more customers around the world. We can’t wait for more people to see the impossible become possible, whether working and collaborating with an infinite canvas for apps, reliving treasured memories in three dimensions, watching TV shows and movies in a one-of-a-kind personal cinema, or enjoying brand-new spatial experiences that defy imagination.
After several beta testing stages, the visionOS update is now available for Vision Pro users. Apple plans to release the update this fall, and it will be free for all users.
Although Apple has not disclosed all the new features of visionOS 2, the company is highlighting new tools for 3D spatial recordings, new hand gestures for the Home View space, Mac Virtual Display optimization, Travel Mode, and Guest User updates.
Furthermore, Apple has announced that the Vision Pro will be available for pre-order in eight new regions globally this month. The release will enable selected areas to access the device by early next month.
Pre-orders for China (mainland, 24,502 CNY), Japan (484,415 JPY), and Singapore (4,725 SGD) start this Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. PT; with Apple planning to release the product Friday, June 28. Apple is also opening pre-orders for Australia (5,195 AUD), Canada (4,725 CAD), France (3,245 EUR), Germany (3,245 EUR), and the United Kingdom (2,785 GBP) regions later this month on Friday, June 28, at 5 a.m. PT; with general availability starting on Friday, July 12.
The product includes additional accessories: a solo knit band, a dual loop band, a personalized light seal with two light seal cushions, an Apple Vision Pro cover, a polishing cloth, a battery, a USB-C charge cable, and a USB-C power adapter. In addition, the package includes ZEISS Optical Prescription inserts that improve clarity.
