Apple introduces Vision Pro VR glasses for $3,499
Apple announced the Vision Pro VR glasses at its own developer conference WWDC. According to the company, it is a device that enables ‘spatial computing’. The software has a 3D interface.
The control of the Vision Pro in visionOS works with gesture control. This makes it possible to select an element by bringing the index finger and thumb together. Moving those fingers up or down causes scrolling. When users look at a text field, they can dictate text. The digital crown works to block the environment more or less.
The glasses detect whether there is someone in the room and then automatically display them. When a user is not in an experience, the front screen shows the user’s eyes. This is done with infrared eye tracking. EyeSight also displays when users take a photo or video with the cameras on the glasses. That footage is in 3D.
Many apps are included in the software, including Safari, Photos, Messages, Facetime and TV+. It is also possible to use the Vision Pro as a screen for a Mac by looking at it. The Vision Pro also has the option to display 3D films. In addition, users create a Persona, a 3D model of their own face for video meetings. VisionOS will have its own App Store. User authentication is done with Optic ID, an iris scanner that is in the headset.
The Vision Pro has a micro OLED screen, with pixels of 7.5 microns. According to Apple, 64 pixels of the Vision Pro fit into the space of one pixel of an iPhone. There is a curved OLED screen on the outside to make the VR glasses appear transparent. Apps do not have access to data about what users watch.
The Vision Pro has an M2 SoC with an R1 chip that must process the input from sensors as quickly as possible. It can operate on mains power or with an external battery. This gives a battery life of two hours, says Apple. The Vision Pro will be released early next year for $3,499 in the US and will be released in various countries in the following months. Nothing is known yet about a release in the Benelux.