With the release of its most popular item, the Apple Vision Pro, Apple took a huge step in the quickly evolving field of innovation. With its unique visual design, this state-of-the-art technology promises to revolutionize our understanding of computer vision and continuously increase our perception of and relationship to the world around us. Apple Vision Pro is not the world’s first augmented reality technology, but the first mainstream technology that will become very popular in the next few years. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s contradictory. But it’s trendy, which means it’s worth understanding the new product’s features in more detail. In this ultimate review of the “glasses of the future,” we’ll tell you why Apple Vision Pro is needed.
What is Apple Vision Pro?
This is a gadget that blurs the boundary between the real and virtual world – hence the name “augmented” (or “mixed”) reality.
By wearing Vision Pro glasses, you combine the digital and real environment in your field of vision. You no longer need to sit in front of a laptop monitor or look at a smartphone screen to write a message to someone in instant messenger or Google an unfamiliar word. It is enough to make a few hand gestures, and the result will appear right in front of you – against the background of what you see with your own eyes. At first glance, Vision Pro is the dreams of science fiction writers of the past, which have finally found their real embodiment.
What is Apple Vision Pro for?
Quite simply, for everything you do in real life, only with virtual additions. Here are some significant examples of why Apple Vision Pro is needed:
- Watch films. By putting on the Vision Pro and sitting on the couch, you can open a wall-sized virtual screen and watch movies of high quality. Built-in speakers with surround sound eliminate the need to connect an external headset. During such a video session, you will not disturb your household (but you may look a little strange from the outside).
- Play games. And we’re not just talking about the simple Fruit Ninja, where fruits fall in front of you and you need to cut them with a movement of your hand. Games can be run on other Apple devices – iPad or Mac, for example, and the process can be controlled using a gamepad. The list of projects for Mac OS is not as large as for Windows, but with the latest chip for MacBooks and the new architecture, it will expand rapidly.
- Translate speech in real-time. The interlocutor can speak another language, and a window with a text translation will appear next to him. The same applies to watching foreign videos.
- Use a bunch of applications in multitasking mode. Here you have a messenger open, here is a browser with a recipe, and a virtual timer hanging above the pot of borscht. Apple Vision Pro runs on the M2 chip, which copes with opening a bunch of applications at once just fine.
- Capture 360-degree spatial videos – Apple Vision Pro has multiple multi-directional cameras that let you create amazing videos. By the way, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro can shoot videos that can later be played back on the Vision Pro.
- Create scenarios or scenes that will be compatible with other smart home equipment. More on this in a separate block.
Specifications
Before proceeding with a detailed review, let’s briefly go over the main technical characteristics of the Apple Vision Pro.
Platform and OS | Eight-core Apple M2 processor (4 Blizzard, 4 Avalanche) with ten-core graphics chip, Apple R1 coprocessor for real-time data processing. Operating system visions |
Inner memory | Depending on the configuration – 256, 512 and 1024 GB |
Displays | Two three-dimensional micro-OLED displays with an interpupillary distance of 51−75 mm. Total resolution – 23 MP, 3386 ppi, refresh rate 90-100 Hz (adaptive). |
Camera | Stereoscopic camera for taking photos and videos with a 6.5 MP sensor resolution, 18 mm focal length, and f/2.0 aperture |
Sensors | Two cameras (main stereoscopic), six external tracker cameras, four eye tracking cameras, TrueDepth camera, LiDAR, Optic ID, flicker and light sensors, four gyroscopes |
Speakers and microphone | Spatial speakers, six multi-directional microphones. Low latency audio support for AirPods Pro 2 |
Audio codecs | Apple Lossless, MP3, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos |
Wireless modules | Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
Battery | 3116 mAh or 35.9 Wh |
Weight | 1 kg (650 g – the gadget itself, 350 g – battery) |
Detailed overview of the device
let’s take a closer look at how individual elements work in Apple Vision Pro.
Design
Apple does not change its traditions, and the design of Apple Vision Pro can be compared with the company’s latest innovations – iPhone 15 or Apple Watch Ultra 2. All these gadgets, being from the same owner, have the same style: classic body colors, deep glossy displays, smooth shapes, and a barely noticeable retro touch.
Vision Pro consists of three main elements. The main building is the largest. The anatomically shaped helmet, reminiscent of a diving mask, fits the face tightly, but without discomfort, with the help of a second element – a soft lining for increased comfort and greater fit. When assembled, these parts are connected to a stretchable headband that will fit smoothly on any head – whether a child or an adult.
Displays
An augmented reality helmet is a technically complex device, but in terms of its filling, it differs little from other Apple gadgets. Before your eyes, there will be two three-dimensional micro-OLED displays with a total resolution of 23 MP and a very high pixel density of 3386 ppi. The refresh rate is adaptive but does not exceed 100 Hz.
Filling
Inside is an Apple M2 chip. It’s not Apple’s most current processor, but it’s still quite good. For example, the MacBook Pro and Air 2022-2023 received it. The M2 works in conjunction with the Apple R1 coprocessor – it is needed to simultaneously process a whole bunch of data coming from several helmet cameras (or glasses, if you prefer). There is a choice of internal memory – 256, 512, and 1024 GB. Modules for wireless communication – Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.
Interface
Apple maintains the interfaces of all its devices in a single design code, but for the Vision Pro, they had to make a slight exception. The applications in this gadget and your Macbook or iPhone are practically the same, but in Vision Pro, their interface, as well as the interface of the visionOS operating system itself, is slightly simplified. This is done in order not to shift attention too much from the external world to the internal, virtual one. Some GUI elements will be a little more transparent, in other places they will disappear altogether, but the interface will remain intuitive. Especially for those who have been using Apple technology for many years.
Control
Apple Vision Pro is controlled by your eyes and hands. The headset reads eye and limb movements using several diverse cameras and sensors at once, which creates a unique effect of presence inside virtual reality. The movements of not only the hand but also each finger are recognized: all the controls inherent in the iPhone touch screen, such as taps, swipes, stretches, and swipes, are here.
Sound
Apple Vision Pro has spatial speakers with surround sound, although it still allows you to use the gadget simultaneously with AirPods. There are six microphones to capture internal and external audio, as well as support for low-latency audio playback for AirPods Pro 2.
Cameras, sensors and sensors
Two main stereoscopes, six external tracker cameras, four internal ones for eye tracking, a TrueDepth camera for capturing facial expressions, LiDAR for measuring the distance to surrounding objects, as well as Optic ID, flicker, lighting sensors and four gyroscopes. Main stereoscopic camera with f/2.0 aperture and 6.5 MP resolution for taking photos and videos.
Autonomy
3116 mAh battery, wired charging only. The battery is quite heavy – 350 grams, which, coupled with the weight of the main gadget (650 grams), gives a whole kilogram of additional weight – this is worth considering before purchasing.
The operating time of the gadget without recharging is a subject of controversy regarding the device because in video viewing mode the Vision Pro will discharge from 100% to zero in two and a half hours. There is not enough time for the conditional “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. However, no one bothers you to watch a movie by connecting the headset to a 30 W charger and enjoying continuous viewing of at least the entire trilogy (more than 12 hours if you watch extended versions).
Equipment
Unlike the latest iPhones, no components were spared for the Vision Pro. Full list of what’s included in the box:
- Vision Pro main headset;
- several pads – the main one for a tight fit to the face and two additional soft ones of different sizes;
- head mount;
- 30 W power adapter and USB-C to USB-C cable for charging;
- protective case;
- branded microfiber cloth;
- instructions.
At the same time, for an additional fee, you can purchase:
- another battery and a separate shoulder strap for carrying;
- magnetic lenses with diopters from Zeiss;
- cooler protective case.
Third-Party Applications
Vision Expert glasses dark the line between the certified and virtual universes, reliably integrating mechanized content into your field of vision. With hand movements, you can get to texts or missions for information without requiring a screen. It is the high-level reality of science fiction that longs for the past.
Apple itself, at the last presentation, announced the availability of additional applications from the very start of sales, namely: Disney+, ESPN, NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, IMAX and TikTok. Moreover, even if some popular applications, such as Netflix or YouTube, are not yet available and will be added later, these services can still be used in the Safari browser.
Important note: You don’t need to repurchase apps if you already have them on your iPhone. During the initial setup and authorization, Apple Vision Pro will offer to transfer already purchased programs. But you can refuse this transfer.
Scenarios for everyday life
To launch scenarios or scenes, you need the Home application and a connection to a smart home system, with which some smart gadgets must be synchronized. In the application, you can set many scenarios of varying levels of complexity, which are limited mainly only by your imagination and the capabilities of smart devices. Here are some examples:
- “Reading”. When the script starts, the curtains close, the light dims to 50%, its color changes to peach, and chill instrumental hip-hop starts playing on your HomePod at 20% volume.
- “Cooking”. While in the kitchen and starting to prepare dinner, you can run a script that turns on bright lights and opens the curtains, and at the same time turns on a timer to control the pans and Safari with the desired recipe page for your favorite borscht.
- “Run”. During your morning run, run this script, which will display your athletic performance and biomarkers on the display, and at the same time turn on the cheerful Eye of the Tiger from the group Survivor.
- “Movie”. Apple Vision Pro can work not only in augmented reality but also in fully virtual reality. When running such a scenario, you can “cut off” the real world with a black screen, simultaneously turning on your favorite online cinema with the desired movie and turning off any other noisy devices – the same HomePod.
The options for using Apple Vision Pro are countless, and there is no doubt that the functionality will only expand in subsequent updates to the system, which will further unleash the creative potential of users.
Pros and cons of the Apple Vision Pro VR headset
Apple Vision Pro is far from the cheapest gadget, even by Apple standards. It would seem that such a premium device, which not everyone can afford, should by definition have no disadvantages. But, alas, they exist, and they are so obvious that it is impossible to call them simply inconveniences. Judge for yourself:
- The Apple Vision Pro headset is very heavy. One could argue that the weight is evenly distributed throughout the head, but this is not so: almost all the weight is on the face. For comparison, it’s almost like three iPhone 15 Pro Max that you attached to your eyes with an elastic band (it’s unclear why). This does not cause any problems when used in a stationary position, for example when watching a movie, but if you walk around in a helmet for at least an hour or two, your neck will not thank you. The battery is located separately from the headset on a long wire, and its weight is not felt if you are sitting on the sofa. But when you walk, you will feel the extra 350 grams in your pocket or chest bag.
- Apple Vision Pro is part of the closed Apple ecosystem. This means that, even if you want, you will not be able to install an application or open a website that the manufacturer has prohibited you from using.
- The new product is extremely expensive even by the standards of flagships from Apple or its competitors, and few will be able to afford it.
- Apple Vision Pro is still a prototype. Yes, the helmet has already entered the mass market, and many people think that it is the crown of engineering. However, a year or two later, Apple Vision Pro 2 or something like that will appear – even more expensive, more powerful, lighter, and so on. Whether to rush to buy or not is an open question.
Don’t think that the gadget consists entirely of disadvantages. In contrast to the problems of the device, we note several important advantages:
- This is an innovative augmented reality device, which previously even the most daring manufacturers of mobile gadgets could only dream of. What was still considered science fiction a few years ago is now reality.
- Almost unlimited possibilities. You can use Apple Vision Pro the way you want. Create scenarios, work, play games, watch movies, and call your loved ones and friends – and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
- This is an indicator of status. The only thing cooler than your iPhone is a newer iPhone that shows you can afford it. But even those who already have a complete set from Apple – a smartphone, watch, and headphones – make way for the owner of the Apple Vision Pro with respect.
- This is a historical experience and the beginning of a new era. When the technology is cheap and ubiquitous, you will be able to show off to your descendants while drinking synthetic coffee in a gravity rocking chair at a Martian dacha, just like you could hardly straighten your neck after yet another work call on Facetime with Vision Pro helmet. Descendants, however, are unlikely to appreciate your delight, because their augmented reality chip will be sewn into their brains even at the time of growing in an infant incubator.
Prices and configurations for Apple Vision Pro in 2024
Prices in the USA
Vision Pro 256 GB – $3499
Vision Pro 512 GB – $3699
Vision Pro 1024 GB – $3899
Prices in Pakistan
Vision Pro 256 GB – Rs 1,389,999
Vision Pro 512 GB – Rs 1,559,999
Vision Pro 1024 GB – Rs 1,699,999