The Vision Pro seems like the perfect fit for a corporate audience used to the promises of Microsoft’s HoloLens platform for almost a decade. Apple is banking on augmented reality rather than virtual reality as its new growth platform, on its external display as some analysts are calling it.
The company has dominated the consumer market with its premium products and may be looking to leverage its hardware IP (e.g. M2) to break into the lucrative B2B market, which is (coincidentally) the only one that can afford it Buying those $3,500 headsets in bulk, that’s what Microsoft is charging for it hololens 2).
Of particular note is the fact that the Vision Pro is designed for individuals, which is subtly emphasized by the images used in the press release, which only show individual users. Unlike other projects Apple seems to have worked on (Apple Car, Apple TV), this one feels very personal, similar to the Apple iPod or the MacBook Pronot something meant to be shared with others, even if it is possible. And given the price, it’s not a purchase you’d make on the side to get your friends or family to join you in a game or look at panoramic photos: these aren’t 3D glasses for 3, $99 (remember).
I noticed with interest that Apple doesn’t call the Vision Pro an AR, VR, or XR product. Apple calls it a Spatial Computer. In the press release, the word “spatial” is used 51 times. No mention of virtual, augmented, or even reality despite the obvious similarities.
The importance of the ecosystem
There’s no denying that the Vision Pro is a masterclass in engineering. TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff played with it and summarized his encounter with the beast: “30 minutes with Apple’s new spatial reality platform was enough to convince me that this is the true future of virtual and augmented reality.” Even if it costs an arm and a leg“. But hardware is only part of the equation.
As always, the Vision Pro’s destiny lies in the developer ecosystem. Just look at Google’s now-abandoned xR projects (Google glasses And Google Daydream view) which, despite being fully supported by the world’s largest developer platform, Android, did not gain significant traction. Even xR’s flagship product, Microsoft’s Hololens, has had its fair share of rough times: it’s now been four years since the second iteration (Check out our HoloLens 2 review) was introduced and between the first and second versions, Microsoft fully geared the concept towards companies looking to outfit their field workers. Yes, it now runs on Windows 11 but rumor has it there won’t be HoloLens 3.
However, hindsight aside (and the failures of others), Apple benefits from something neither Google nor Microsoft had: complete control over the hardware/software stack (and thus experience), but convincing developers to adopt the platform, is something that takes time, which brings us to the start date.
Why is the Vision Pro headset launching in 2024?
Apple confirmed the Vision Pro won’t launch until next year, while other territories are expected to receive it later this year. Announcing a product and not actually making it available is something Apple rarely does. The new Mac Pro is already available for everyone. By pushing availability to 2024, Apple can buy time and encourage the entire ecosystem to deliver enough apps, use cases, and content for businesses and consumers. The Vision Pro also achieves something few have noticed: it validates the value of the xR ecosystem and will encourage others to embrace it.
As Rolf Illenberger, the CEO of VRdirect, a niche company developing VR solutions, suggests: “The world’s largest companies have all tried to advance and perfect their VR strategy over the last three years, using the pandemic as a starting point have used.” Now they have a device that fits some behind-the-scenes conversations and planning.”
I, for one, can’t wait to see how WWDC 2024 turns out.
