The 3D headset from Apple is now available. Apple’s new platform, and the so-called new paradigm of Spatial Computing, is here. Whether it’s the future of computing or just a big fancy iPad for your face is unclear, though it’s likely somewhere in between. I’ve taken in some reviews and remain unsold. The high price isn’t the only issue. I’m reluctant to have Apple’s ecosystem further lock me in with yet another device. And I’m concerned with people burying their faces in headsets; it seems like total screen capitulation at a time when more people see the need to “touch grass.”
Based on initial impressions and short-term reviews, the Vision Pro’s “killer app” seems to be 3D videos or entertainment. And while many people seem wowed by multiple huge floating windows, there seems to be a lack of productivity or, you know, computing.
The spatial part appears legit spectacular, but without computing that’s more than mere 3D iPad apps, this version 1.0 is more of a tech demo. It will likely be a couple of years before it settles into a solid use-case, assuming its price drops to a level the average consumer can afford or is willing to pay.
One aspect of Vision Pro computing that really makes me balk is that, for productivity, you must connect your Mac so its display appears inside the headset. So that means in order to function like an actual computer, you must own an actual computer in the first place, one sold only by Apple of course. In other words, for this first iteration, you must have spent around $1,000 or more for a Mac and at least $3,500 for the 3D headset to do computing that you could have just done with the Mac in the first place.
Apple is a money making machine.
So yes, I’m skeptical if not a bit cynical about Vision Pro. Granted, I’ve not tried it myself. It might be that if I wear one just to see a 3D immersive video, I’ll be flabbergasted into buying one. Doubt it, but I am a tech geek so it’s possible.
Spatial computing or AR could become a real leap forward in the not too distant future. That’s something I’d be interested in if it means wearing simple glasses. But I do not want to seclude myself inside a headset except for one potential situation - 3D gaming. Yet I think that’d require physical controllers like those found on game consoles or the Meta Quest devices.
I still think that ultimately, Vision Pro will remain a niche product like AirPods Max or HomePod. Rather than ushering in a new computing paradigm, Apple’s headset is a high-end device for video like the AirPods Max and HomePod are high-end audio. Only the geekiest and most affluent will buy in. The rest of us will poke along in 2D on laptops, tablets, and phones.
Speaking of which, the smartphone isn’t going away. It’s more likely that the iPhone will live to see 40 years just like the Mac saw its 40th anniversary last month. It’s here to stay. And I doubt the Vision Pro is that kind of device. It may be magical, but I don’t think it’s revolutionary, at least not yet.
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