Overlaying the “virtual world ” on the real world
The gadget, called Vision Pro, will be available “early next year.” It combines virtual reality (VR) with augmented reality (AR), overlaying digital images on top of the real world. Apple said it will sell for $3,499, which is higher than most analysts expected and nearly 12 times the price of Meta’s Quest 2, the world’s best-selling VR headset.
CEO Tim Cook at the announcement of the new 'mixed reality' glasses Vision Pro. Photo: AFP
Vision Pro is the biggest gamble on a product yet from CEO Tim Cook, who replaced Steve Jobs in 2011. Cook has long been hailed as an executive genius who has driven Apple's market value from about $350 billion in 2011 to nearly $2.9 trillion today, but has long been criticized for iterating on past ideas and delaying projects like the Apple Car.
Cook said on Monday that the device, which includes glasses and headphones, will be used to “seamlessly merge the physical world with the digital world” and is “the first Apple product you look through, not at.” But he said the launch is just “the beginning of a journey” toward what the company calls a revolutionary “spatial computer.”
In a demonstration video filmed ahead of the start of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple showed the device being used to play video games, watch entertainment on a large “virtual” screen, and potentially be used to work on documents and make multiple video calls.
“When you actually try it and see it work, it’s amazing,” said Bajarin, who has used the device. “If you’re watching a sports game, you’re actually on the field. You’re in front of the action. And if the movie is 3D, you’re almost in the 3D world.”
From playing games, watching movies, surfing the web to office work
Apple is aiming the device at office workers, saying it will be the “ultimate workspace.” It could also help people view photos and videos, read documents, and surf the web, potentially changing the way people approach technology and the internet.
Apple says the Vision Pro can be “your own personal movie theater,” with a “100-foot wide” screen and automatic dimming of the real world around the screen.
Apple's Vision Pro glasses are expected to be able to do the work of computers and phones. Photo: Reuters
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger called Vision Pro “a revolutionary platform” and said it would allow Disney to create content like never before.
A video made by Disney shows Mickey Mouse jumping out of a picture frame and into the wearer's living room, jumping on furniture. However, the only service Disney announced for the device at launch was its existing Disney Plus video streaming content.
Given the price and limited application, analysts expect the company to sell only about 200,000 Vision Pro headsets in the first year. Still, Wall Street expects the device to contribute significantly to the company’s revenue within five years, potentially one day becoming the most important computing platform since the iPhone.
Apple shares hit a record high ahead of the announcement, rising more than 2% to $184.91 and surpassing the previous record set in January 2022, before falling back as Vision Pro was unveiled. Apple shares ended Monday down 0.8% at $179.58.
Hoang Hai (according to FT, Reuters, AFP)
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