On Monday, Apple unveiled its much-anticipated mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, the tech giant’s first major new product category since 2015’s Apple Watch.
The new device, packed with cameras and sensors, looks like a futuristic pair of ski goggles, and can immerse a wearer in virtual reality but also blend in the real-world elements of augmented reality. CEO Tim Cook announced the new product at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference held at its sparkling Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, CA.
Apple’s virtual reality plans date back roughly a decade, and Cook has been teasing his ambitions publicly for the better part of that time. As far back as 2016, the company filed patents for lightweight eyeglasses and a bulkier device. But while Cook reportedly preferred the more compact option, according to reports by Bloomberg, the technical challenge forced Apple to change its strategy.
The device announcement comes years after other Silicon Valley juggernauts including Meta and Google parent Alphabet have tried to bring high-tech headsets into the mainstream. Facebook in 2014 bought the startup Oculus for $2 billion and has released two generations of its Meta Quest, geared mostly toward gamers. Microsoft in 2016 made a big bet on its Hololens headset, a 3D augmented reality device, but has failed to gain traction with consumers. Google made the buzziest splash more than a decade ago with its disastrous Google Glass, a sleek headset with a camera on board. The product drew immediate outrage, with early adopters dubbed “glassholes.”
Apple has rarely been first to new product categories, instead letting other companies take the lead while it developed products it hoped could dominate over rivals. Apple was beat to market in mp3 players, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, but its iPods, iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches have all become category-defining devices.
Apple will have a bigger challenge ahead as it asks people to put its latest product directly on their faces for everyday use—an aim which has eluded all its well-capitalized predecessors. Today’s headsets often lead to people complaining about the devices overheating, being too heavy to wear for too long or leaving sweaty foreheads. Others have found the experience of being disconnected to the real world—immersed in full-on virtual reality for long periods of time—too isolating. Cook said in an interview with GQ earlier this year that Apple’s device could increase collaboration, though Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to achieve a similar effect in the workplace has failed to take off.
Leave a Reply