Apple Vision Pro

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Apple Vision Pro
File:Apple Vision Pro (non-free image).png
Apple Vision Pro headset and battery pack
DeveloperApple Inc.
ManufacturerFoxconn[1]
TypeMixed reality headset
Release dateEarly 2024
Introductory priceUS$3,499
Operating systemvisionOS
System on a chipApple M2 and R1
Websiteapple.com/apple-vision-pro

The Apple Vision Pro is an upcoming mixed reality headset produced by Apple Inc. It was announced on June 5, 2023 at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference and will be available for purchase in early 2024. It is the first new consumer product line from Apple since the Apple Watch in 2015. Unlike many VR headsets, Apple Vision Pro will feature a separate battery pack that will be placed inside the user's pocket.

Development

In May 2015, Apple acquired the German augmented reality (AR) company Metaio.[2] The company intended to use Metaio's technology in its electric car project, codenamed "Project Titan". That year, Apple hired Mike Rockwell from Dolby Laboratories. Rockwell formed a team that included Metaio co-founder Peter Meier and Apple Watch manager Fletcher Rothkopf. The team developed an AR demo in 2016, but faced opposition from then-chief design officer Jony Ive and his team. Augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) expert and former NASA specialist Jeff Norris was hired in April 2017.[3] Rockwell's team helped deliver ARKit in 2017 with iOS 11. According to The Information, Rockwell's team sought to create a headset and worked with Ive's team; the decision to reveal the wearer's eyes through a front-facing eye display went over well with the industrial design team.[4] The headset's development experienced a period of uncertainty with the departure of Ive in 2019. His successor, Evans Hankey, left the company in 2023.[5]

Unveiling and release

Information about a headset, then rumored as the Reality Pro,[6] began surfacing in 2022. In May 2022, Bloomberg News reported that Apple executives previewed the device, including CEO Tim Cook.[7] The company began recruiting directors to develop content for the headset in June. One such director, Jon Favreau, was enlisted to bring the dinosaurs on his Apple TV+ show Prehistoric Planet to life.[8] Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote in January 2023 that plans for an AR headset were put on hold.[9] Gurman shared further information about the headset in April and noted that Apple was attempting to attract developers to make software and services.[10] According to Apple, the company filed over 5,000 patents for technologies which contributed to the development of Vision Pro.[11] The Apple Vision Pro was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, 2023. It will be available in "early 2024" for US$3,499.[12] An estimated 1,000,000 units will be shipped initially.[13]

Hardware

The Apple Vision Pro has a laminated glass display front, an aluminum frame covered by a flexible cushion, and an adjustable head band. The frame contains five sensors, six microphones and 12 cameras. Two micro-OLED displays with a total of 23 megapixels, each with a size of a postage stamp, will be seen by the user through the lens. The eyes are tracked by a system of LEDs and infrared cameras, which would also form the basis of the device's iris scanner named Optic ID. There is custom optical inserts available for people with prescription glasses; these lenses will attach magnetically to the lens and are developed in partnership with Carl Zeiss AG. The headset's speaker is inside the head band and is placed directly over the user's ears and can generate surround sound.[14][15]

The Apple Vision Pro uses the Apple M2 processor and a new Apple R1 processor that was made specifically for the headset for sensor input processing, which would be cooled down by a gentle fan. A custom-made packet battery connected to the headset via a cable will allow 2 hours of device run time.[14][15]

Software

Operating system

The Apple Vision Pro runs visionOS, featuring a three-dimensional interface that covers the user's field of view. The headset by default will let the surroundings in the actual world to "pass through", so elements look as though they 'float' in space; a crown at the top of the headset can adjust the amount of virtual background occupying the user's field of view. Other people can be made aware of the virtual background by the graphics in the front glass display, called EyeSight by Apple: in transparent mode the eyes are dimly visible through the front display, and gradually the graphics gets more and more obfuscated the further the "immersiveness".[15]

The user will only need to use fingers and eyes to navigate; no dedicated hand controllers are needed. Similar to a traditional desktop computer's point and click, to select an element, the user glances at at element and tap two fingers together. The finger tapping can happen anywhere in space and will be recognized by the headset's array of cameras. To scroll, the user would flick their wrist up. The visionOS uses both dictation and a virtual keyboard for inputting text. Siri would also be available as a virtual assistant of the headset, which would be able to perform spoken commands. The headset uses an iris scanner called Optic ID to lock and unlock the device, similar to Face ID in iPhones and iPads.[15]

Third-party apps

The Apple Vision Pro will launch with over 100 games from Apple Arcade, including NBA 2K23 (2022).[16] Disney+ will be available at launch.[17] In addition, several apps in the Microsoft Office suite, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Teams, as well as Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Adobe Lightroom, will be available. Apple has promised native support for Unity apps.[18]

References

  1. ^ Mayo, Benjamin (February 23, 2023). "Apple reportedly already working with Foxconn on cheaper second-generation AR headset". 9to5Mac. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  2. ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (May 28, 2015). "Apple Buys German Augmented-Reality Firm Metaio". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Gurman, Mark (April 24, 2017). "Apple Hires NASA AR Guru to Help Run Its Own Efforts". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Ma, Wayne (May 20, 2022). "Behind the Apple Design Decisions That Bogged Down Its Mixed-Reality Headset". The Information. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Mickle, Tripp; Chen, Brian (March 26, 2023). "At Apple, Rare Dissent Over a New Product: Interactive Goggles". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Hector, Hamish (June 5, 2023). "Don't get excited for an Apple Reality Pro price switcheroo at WWDC". TechRadar. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Gurman, Mark (May 19, 2022). "Apple Shows AR/VR Headset to Board in Sign of Progress on Key Project". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Mickle, Tripp; Chen, Brian (June 4, 2022). "Apple Starts Connecting the Dots for Its Next Big Thing". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Lawler, Richard (January 18, 2023). "Apple reportedly shelved its plans to release AR glasses anytime soon". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Gurman, Mark (April 18, 2023). "Apple's AR/VR Headset to Feature Sports, Gaming, iPad Apps and Workouts". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Cross, Jason (June 5, 2023). "Apple Vision Pro: Apple's big bet on a brand-new platform starts at $3,499". Macworld. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  12. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey (June 5, 2023). "Apple unveils Vision Pro, its $3,499 augmented-reality headset". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  13. ^ McGee, Patrick; Bradshaw, Tim (March 11, 2023). "Tim Cook bets on Apple's mixed-reality headset to secure his legacy". Financial Times. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Robertson, Adi (June 5, 2023). "Apple Vision Pro is Apple's new AR headset". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d "Apple Vision Pro". Apple. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  16. ^ Parrish, Ash (June 5, 2023). "Apple's new VR headset will feature over 100 Apple Arcade games at launch". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Weatherbed, Jess (June 5, 2023). "Disney Plus is coming to Apple's Vision Pro headset". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Warren, Tom (June 5, 2023). "Microsoft Word, Excel, and Teams are all coming to Apple's new Vision Pro headset". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2023.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apple_Vision_Pro&oldid=1158719118"