Apple Vision Pro Review

Apple's uncovering of this new gadget was not merely a product launch; it was a statement of goal. On June 5th, 2023, the legendary tech company Apple, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC23), introduced its Apple Vision Pro for the world of tech, not only by releasing a new device but also with a gateway to the metaverse. 

Immersion Redefined: 

It is equipped with micro-OLED displays that give you startling detail, immersing you into a virtual space so real that you will forget you are wearing a headset. Imagine yourself in a personal IMAX cinema, working with global colleagues in a virtual cooperative environment, or seeing the stunning scenery without leaving the comfort of your home.  

More than Just a VR: 

Apple Vision Pro is not just a means of virtual escape. It elegantly merges digital with the real-world physical, transposing digital information and objects into your real-world surroundings. Want to watch a movie, this VR experience is second to none. Attempting another dance battle? Cast the light show on your eyes. The only limit is your imagination and the potential is staggering in terms of many businesses.

Intuitive Control at Its Finest:

The good old days when you were working with buttons are long gone. The power of your gaze and hand gestures are tapped by this gem, achieving the best possible interactivity. Just visualizing menus, manipulating objects, or even typing with a blink or turn of the wrist.  These simple controls elevate your experience. You will take this device as an extension of yourself.

Simply unmatchable:

The Vision Pro is characterized by its micro-OLED display. It is another monster outfit with 23 million pixels crammed in a tiny space providing a 92% DCI-P3 color gamut and 7.5-micron pixel pitch for a super sharp appearance. Forget the “screen door” effect, the virtual worlds become alive in lifelike detail with it.  

Seeing in 3D: 

Besides ultrahigh resolution screens, this VR has more to offer. It uses the most efficient 3D display. The user experiences a real environment through feelings of spaciousness. It tracks according to the gaze where the user is looking which makes you feel like you are physically in the virtual world.

Tracking Your Every Move:

As Apple Vision Pro is meant for smooth engagement and accurate movement in virtual and augmented environments, its innovative sensor suite would make even James Bond look suspicious. It has six forward-faced cameras that look at the world, four cameras that monitor eyes, and a Ldar scanner as well. The complex system consists of precise tracking of your head and hand movements. It gives a great feel when you operate the virtual space.

Performance Powerhouse: 

The power behind the immersive experience is a custom-made silicon chip. Despite the details still being a bit vague at the moment, as a gaming notebook of the highest caliber, it should be ready to tackle the most resource-demanding games, overlay AR as the way to go and support multitasking seamlessly.

Beyond the Basics:

New sensors like an ambient light sensor, flicker sensor, and four inertial measurement units (IMUs) were added and these all work in a synchronized way to achieve a smooth and responsive experience. 

Battery Life:

Apple Vision Pro has a lithium-ion battery. Compared to old generations, lithium-ion batteries last longer and charge faster. Such batteries have overall longer lifespans along with lighter weight. The company claims its battery timing of up to 2 hours for normal use.

Operating System:

The operating system of Apple Vision Pro is an amazing wonder itself as it taps into visionOS (formerly xrOS). The OS was created primarily on iOS core frameworks like UIKit, and ARKit. Therefore, the user experience is smooth and powerful. If you are looking for an intuitive way to operate your device, the 3D User Interface, which is navigated via finger tracking, eye tracking, and speech recognition, is the perfect solution. Ranging from an eye-pointing and pinch selection to moving things with one's fingernails and moving the items with pinched fingers, the interface is designed to be easy to use and quick to function.

Apps are designed to be presented as hovering windows that can be placed and moved in a 3D space, bringing an innovative and interesting approach to multitasking. VisionOS provides Bluetooth compatibility to external peripherals, including Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and game controllers, that can broaden your capabilities.

This VR  supports over 1 million iOS & iPadOS apps and 600 native apps made by developers specifically for this device. It opens the door to the largest VR ecosystem with the most immersive and diverse apps. Some popular apps that come to mind like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube are not there at the start; however, a continued talk is having constant discussions on the particular subject to expand the variety and choice of people.

 Additional Accessories:

  1. Travel Bag ($199): For the on-the-go user, our stylish travel bag ensures that you can carry your headset with ease and sophistication.

  2. Zeiss Optical Inserts ($99): Crafted by Apple in collaboration with Zeiss, these optical inserts cater to users with farsightedness, providing enhanced clarity and comfort.

  3. Light Seal ($199) and Light Seal Cushion ($29): Create the perfect lighting conditions with the light seal, and enhance your overall comfort with the light seal cushion – both designed to complement your experience.

  4. Belkin Battery Holder: Keep your device powered throughout the day with the convenient and reliable battery holder, a first-party accessory made in collaboration with Belkin. 

Launch of Apple Vision Pro:

On February 2, 2024, It was officially launched in the US market after the preorder had begun on January 19. Demo options are offered at the retail outlets of the Apple if you're keen to try it before buying it.

This VR is definitely in great demand as it sells out all its pre-orders pretty soon. There is an extension to the shipment times that goes as far as March, but many company stores have limited walk-in stock. Based on the words of Ming-Chi Kuo, who is a senior Apple analyst, around 180,000 first-generation headsets have already been sold.

You can purchase in U.S. retail stores or online for $3,500 and up starting with 256GB of storage. What you will get in your package is these two items: A light Seal and a headband. In the ordering process, we will need a Face ID scan.

Furthermore, You can buy accessories as well – a Zeiss lens for $99, and if you want custom-made inserts for your prescription lens, this would cost you $149. Once you buy your contact lenses online, make sure to upload a valid and unexpired U.S. doctor's prescription prescribed by an eye care professional after your order.     

What's in the Packaging Box:

Specifically, it comes along with two bands (Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band), its cover for when not in use, a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions of different sizes, a Polishing Cloth, a battery, a USB-C charging cable, and a USB-C power adapter. It’s like you have everything that you need right at your hand.

Can You Wear Glasses along with it?

The glasses should not be worn along with the Vision Pro, because only the headset is constructed to fit without glasses. This may result in bodily discomfort and possible harm to the headset. But, Zeiss Optical Inserts sold at $100-$150 is the solution to this complaint. For those who wear glasses and are looking for this product, they must always add these lenses' extra cost.

Return Policy For This Device:

Just like a usual return policy, the company offers a 14-day return window in case you are unsatisfied or just want to return the product after giving it a try.

Future Plans for this VR:

An analyst of Apple Ming-Chi Kuo foresees that in the 2030s the company may come up with “contact lenses” with augmented reality. Such glasses are designed to move AR from "visible computing" to "invisible computing." Whether they will be created or not, shows AR's future vision of Apple.

Brand’s Glasses project, slated to launch after the headset, is currently on pause. The brand is working on an affordable variant of the AR/VR headset. Glasses will be available only in 2027 at the earliest. Future versions of the device would probably include accessibility settings that would help persons with eye diseases and visual impairments, too.

But is it perfect?

The invention of revolutionary products is not free of flaws. They have to overcome the difficulties. While the product is attractive, its price is quite high, and the market for apps is in its early stages. A wider field of view is of the possible improvements and an increase in battery life. These will be teething issues and the company has a history of improving their products over time.

The Verdict:

This innovative product is just a glimpse of our future, where technology effortlessly co-exists with our lives, enhances creativity, and shapes our interactions with the surrounding world. If innovative devices are your thing and you can afford to spend big money, it might be your direct access to the virtual world. However, the general consumer is hopeful about the technology ripening and the price dropping.