Apple Vision Pro. Image source: APPLE
During a developer’s conference held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the highly anticipated Vision Pro augmented reality headset.
Apple recently unveiled its cutting-edge augmented reality headset, known as the Vision Pro.
With a price tag of $3,499 (£2,849), the headset is set to hit the US market early next year.
Cook emphasized that the Vision Pro seamlessly merges the realms of the real and virtual worlds, providing users with an unparalleled augmented reality experience.
In addition to the headset, Apple also made significant announcements regarding its product lineup.
The tech giant introduced the latest iteration of its iPhone operating system, along with notable updates to the MacBook Air.
The conference was a multimedia affair, being streamed live on Apple’s official website and YouTube channel, allowing viewers from around the world to witness the unveiling of these groundbreaking technologies.
‘Ski goggles’
The Apple Vision Pro stands apart from other headsets on the market with a distinctive visual style that resembles ski goggles rather than a typical virtual reality headset.
The headgear is described as a “augmented reality” headset by Apple, highlighting its capabilities.
By superimposing virtual things over the real world, augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, enables users to mix the real and virtual worlds by viewing the augmented environment through a screen.
The Vision Pro, according Apple CEO Tim Cook, enables people to perceive, engage with, and interact with digital content as if it were fully incorporated into their actual surroundings.
With a surprising degree of immersion and interaction, this feature fulfills Apple’s ambition for augmented reality experiences.
Hand motions, eye movements, and vocal commands are used to operate the gadget. For instance, you can flick your fingers to scroll over the content and tap them together to select items.
This announcement comes soon after Lenovo and Meta unveiled upgraded models of their current virtual reality headsets.
These new headsets do not superimpose virtual things onto the real-world view, in contrast to earlier models.
Mixed reality has also seen major investments from Meta, despite the difficulties this industry is currently undergoing.
The International Data Corporation reports that the global sales of headsets fell sharply by 54% last year.
In 2015, Apple released the Apple Watch, a noteworthy piece of hardware.
iOS 17
In addition to the Vision Pro announcement, Apple also revealed iOS17, the latest iteration of its iPhone operating system.
One of the notable updates is the introduction of “contact posters.” This feature allows users to associate a picture or image of themselves that will appear on the recipient’s phone when they receive a call from you.
Another new feature is “live voicemail.” With this functionality, users will receive real-time transcriptions of voicemail messages being left for them.
This transcription feature extends to audio messages sent via Apple Messages as well.
Apple has also introduced a system called Check-In. This feature automatically notifies a designated friend or family member when you arrive home.
Furthermore, if there is a significant delay in your journey, Check-In has the capability to inform others that you have not yet reached home safely.
The upcoming operating system is scheduled for release during the autumn of 2023.