In a conversation with the BBC, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, highlighted some of the productivity gains and accessibility considerations of the firm’s upcoming MR headset, the Vision Pro.
During the conversation, Cook explained a use case for the Vision Pro spatial computing device by noting:
[With the Vision Pro], you can be sitting here in your living room, and you can have your virtual world overlying your physical world. All of a sudden, you and I might be having that conversation, and we may want to reference something; you could pull it up in space, and we could chat about it.
The Vision Pro utilises an MR framework that displays a user’s immersive heads-up with a collection of options to open Apple’s esteemed lineup of productivity applications and interact with these applications in a 3D XR space surrounding the user.
The goal is to extend the capabilities of laptop and desktop screens, evolving 2D screen-based computing to 3D spatial computing. Moreover, the device also negates keyboard requirements (and controller requirements) with eye and hand-tracking features integrated into the headset.
The tracking features aim to streamline user interaction while also potentially increasing accessibility to innovative computing technology. Notably, the Vision Pro gives users various options to understand and interact with XR by using eye and hand-based interactions.
Cook notes that when using a Vision Pro, an operator can “just look at something” and “select it with your eyes.” Hand and eye tracking are increasingly common features in modern XR headsets from consumer to enterprise, aiming to drive adoption via ease of use.
Thanks to a lack of a controller, headsets like the Vision Pro could potentially decrease the need for extensive onboarding or training procedures; as Cook notes, “it’s so wild because people pick it up – They can’t believe how easy to use it is. But we spent years researching and developing this product to make it so simple to use that it works like your mind works.”
Moreover, Apple recently flew experts from its headquarters with Vision Pro devices to assist with customer onboarding and familiarisation to train in-store employees and prepare them for customers.
Apple is pre-planning to help individual customers get familiar with MR headsets, ensuring a smooth introduction to the device, as many first-time XR users may struggle with the set-up and onboarding process.
The news comes following rumours that Apple is shipping Vision Pro headsets to retail stores this month, putting the puzzle pieces together for a strong debut – this, alongside Tim Cook’s interview on the BBC with the famed Dua Lipa, may also show a mainstream XR push from the firm. Therefore introducing XR productivity solutions to a far greater audience.
More on the Vision Pro
Apple is preparing to release the Vision Pro in 2024 at a retail price of $3,499. While this may seem expensive compared to other consumer-grade headsets, Apple is highlighting the competitive features of the product for productivity and workplace usage.
The upcoming Vision Pro headset features two Micro OLED 4K displays with a 3800 x 3000 per eye resolution, a ring of LED lights to enhance eye-tracking performance, and hand-tracking sensors for a controller-free experience.
Powered by a proprietary software stack and Apple silicon architecture, the Vision Pro will also offer custom optical inserts developed in partnership with Zeiss, designed for users who require prescription glasses.
Additionally, the device will also feature the following:
- M2 Silicon processor and R1 graphic processing unit (GPU)
- 23m pixel display with micro-OLED lenses
- 4096 x 5464-pixel resolution with high-dynamic range (HDR) and wide colour gamut (WCG)
- Head, hand, and eye tracking sensors for controllerless interfacing
Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro device will feature the innovative visionOS operating system, giving users a 3D interface to access Apple’s suite of apps. The device will also come with over 100 titles from Apple Arcade at launch. Apple will initially enter markets in the United States and release later in Canada and the United Kingdom.
