Today, Apple revealed Apple Vision Pro, an innovative spatial computer that seamlessly integrates digital content with the physical environment, while enabling users to maintain their presence and connection with others. Vision Pro introduces a groundbreaking concept where digital applications are displayed on an endless canvas that extends beyond the limitations of a conventional screen. It introduces a fully immersive three-dimensional user interface that responds to the most natural and instinctive inputs available, including the user’s eyes, hands, and voice.
Through its visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro grants users the ability to interact with digital content in a manner that creates the sensation of it being physically present within their surroundings. The exceptional design of Vision Pro includes an ultra-high-resolution display system that boasts an impressive 23 million pixels spread across two screens. Furthermore, its custom Apple silicon is housed within a unique dual-chip configuration, guaranteeing that every interaction feels as though it is occurring right in front of the user’s eyes, in real time.
Introduction
“Today marks the dawning of a new computing era,” remarked Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. “Just as the Mac revolutionized personal computing and the iPhone brought us into the age of mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro now introduces us to the realm of spatial computing. Leveraging decades of Apple’s pioneering innovations, Vision Pro stands years ahead, surpassing anything ever created before. It boasts a groundbreaking input system and thousands of innovative features, unlocking incredible experiences for our users and presenting thrilling opportunities for our developers.”
“To create our inaugural spatial computer, we embarked on a journey of invention that touched nearly every aspect of the system,” explained Mike Rockwell, Apple’s Vice President of the Technology Development Group. “By tightly integrating hardware and software, we have designed a compact wearable device that serves as a standalone spatial computer, surpassing all other personal electronic devices in terms of advancement.”
Apple Vision Pro revolutionizes the realm of powerful and personalized computing, transforming the way users engage with their beloved applications, capture and revisit cherished memories, indulge in breathtaking TV shows and movies, and connect with others seamlessly through FaceTime.
An infinite canvas for apps at work and home
With its visionary spatial operating system, visionOS, Apple Vision Pro introduces a three-dimensional interface that liberates apps from the constraints of traditional displays. This breakthrough allows apps to coexist seamlessly, side by side, at any desired scale. Users can now experience enhanced productivity through the boundless expanse of screen real estate, gaining effortless access to their favorite apps and discovering innovative ways to multitask. Moreover, by supporting Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, users have the flexibility to configure their ideal workspace or effortlessly extend the remarkable capabilities of their Mac to Vision Pro wirelessly. This empowers them to create a vast, private, and portable 4K display with exceptionally crisp text, maximizing their computing potential.
Engaging entertainment experiences
Equipped with two ultra-high-resolution displays, Apple Vision Pro has the remarkable ability to effortlessly convert any space into a personal movie theatre, boasting a screen that evokes the feeling of being 100 feet wide. Complemented by an advanced Spatial Audio system, users can indulge in their favorite movies and TV shows, immersing themselves in a captivating cinematic experience. Additionally, the Vision Pro introduces Apple Immersive Video, which showcases 180-degree high-resolution recordings accompanied by Spatial Audio, offering users access to a thrilling collection of immersive videos that transport them to entirely new realms.
The advent of spatial computing opens the doors to an array of innovative gaming experiences, with titles that span the spectrum of immersion, inviting gamers to explore unprecedented worlds. Furthermore, users can enjoy over 100 Apple Arcade games on a screen of any desired size, accompanied by incredible immersive audio and support for popular game controllers. This combination ensures that gaming on Vision Pro is an unparalleled adventure.
Immersive Environments
With the introduction of Environments, Apple Vision Pro transcends the boundaries of a physical room, expanding a user’s world into dynamic and visually stunning landscapes. These captivating environments serve a dual purpose, aiding in focus and decluttering busy spaces. By simply twisting the Digital Crown, users have the power to regulate their level of presence or immersion within these virtual realms, granting them full control over their experience.
Memories come alive
Introducing Apple’s inaugural three-dimensional camera, Apple Vision Pro empowers users to capture, revisit, and immerse themselves in their cherished memories, complemented by the immersive experience of Spatial Audio. Each spatial photo and video has the incredible ability to transport users back to a specific moment in time, whether it be a joyful celebration with friends or a precious family gathering. Users can seamlessly access their entire photo library stored on iCloud, allowing them to view their photos and videos at a life-size scale, showcasing brilliant color and remarkable detail. Moreover, every Panorama shot taken on an iPhone expands and envelops the user, evoking the sensation of being right at the very location it was captured.
FaceTime becomes spatial
Through the remarkable capabilities of Apple Vision Pro, FaceTime calls are elevated to a new level of immersion. Taking full advantage of the user’s surroundings, each participant on the call is mirrored in life-size tiles, creating a truly engaging visual experience. Additionally, Spatial Audio is employed, delivering the sensation that the participants’ voices emanate from their respective positions, further enhancing the realism of the conversation.
For users wearing Vision Pro during a FaceTime call, their digital representation, known as a Persona, comes to life. Leveraging Apple’s advanced machine learning techniques, the Persona accurately reflects the user’s facial expressions and hand movements in real time, adding an element of authenticity to the conversation. This opens up exciting possibilities for shared experiences, such as watching a movie together, browsing through photos, or collaborating on a presentation, fostering a sense of togetherness and interactivity even from a distance.
Even more app experiences
Apple Vision Pro introduces a completely redesigned App Store, offering users a platform to explore a wide range of apps and content created by developers. Users can discover and access hundreds of thousands of familiar apps from iPhone and iPad, all seamlessly optimized to deliver an exceptional experience with the new input system of Vision Pro. These apps work flawlessly and effortlessly integrate with the unique features of Vision Pro.
Apple’s dedicated developer community can tap into the immense potential of Vision Pro and visionOS to unleash their creativity. By harnessing the powerful and distinctive capabilities of Vision Pro, developers can craft brand-new app experiences that push the boundaries of spatial computing. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to reimagine existing apps, adapting them to fully capitalize on the transformative possibilities offered by Vision Pro. This collaboration between Apple and developers fuels innovation, driving the evolution of app experiences in the realm of spatial computing.
A Revolutionary Operating System and User Interface
Drawing upon the rich legacy of engineering innovation in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, visionOS is a groundbreaking operating system that has been meticulously crafted to meet the demanding requirements of spatial computing. Built from the ground up, visionOS is optimized to deliver immersive experiences with minimal latency, revolutionizing the way users interact with their digital environment.
At the heart of visionOS lies a cutting-edge three-dimensional interface, meticulously designed to seamlessly blend digital content with the user’s physical world. By dynamically responding to natural light and casting realistic shadows, the interface enhances the user’s perception of scale and distance, making digital content feel tangibly present.
To facilitate seamless navigation and interaction with spatial content, Apple Vision Pro introduces an entirely new input system, harnessing the power of a user’s eyes, hands, and voice. Users can effortlessly explore and browse through apps by simply directing their gaze, tapping their fingers to make selections, elegantly scrolling with a flick of the wrist, or even dictating commands using their voice. This comprehensive and intuitive input system empowers users to effortlessly engage with their digital world, unlocking new possibilities for productivity and enjoyment.
Apple Vision Pro introduces an exceptional innovation called EyeSight, which enhances the user’s ability to connect with people in their surroundings. When someone wearing Vision Pro encounters another individual, the device intelligently transitions into a transparent state, allowing the user to maintain visual contact with the person while also displaying the user’s eyes. This unique feature promotes a natural and immersive interaction, fostering a sense of genuine connection.
Furthermore, when the user is engrossed in an environment or engaged with an app, EyeSight provides visual cues to others, indicating what the user is currently focused on. This helps create a shared understanding and facilitates communication, enabling seamless interactions even in immersive or app-centric scenarios. EyeSight truly elevates the social aspect of using Vision Pro, ensuring that users can stay connected and engaged with those around them while enjoying the benefits of spatial computing.
Breakthrough Design
Apple Vision Pro represents the culmination of Apple’s extensive experience and groundbreaking innovations in designing high-performance products like Mac, iPhone, and wearables such as Apple Watch. This remarkable device stands as the epitome of personal electronics, boasting the most advanced features ever seen in the industry. To achieve ambitious goals in terms of performance, portability, and comfort, Apple has harnessed the power of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing techniques.
The compact design of Apple Vision Pro encapsulates an astonishing array of technology. A single piece of meticulously shaped and laminated glass takes on the role of an optical surface, acting as a lens for the multitude of cameras and sensors essential for seamlessly merging the physical and digital worlds. This glass effortlessly merges into a custom aluminum alloy frame, gently curving around the user’s face. The modular system ensures a tailored fit, accommodating a wide range of individuals. For optimal comfort and precision, the Light Seal, composed of soft textiles, adapts to the contours of the user’s face, offering a snug and personalized fit.
Flexible straps keep the audio components near the user’s ears, ensuring an immersive audio experience. Additionally, the Head Band, available in various sizes, is intricately knitted as a single three-dimensional piece, providing cushioning, breathability, and elasticity. The band is securely fastened with a user-friendly mechanism, allowing for effortless swapping to another size or style of the band.
The meticulous attention to detail and use of advanced materials in the design of Apple Vision Pro ensures a device that not only delivers exceptional performance but also offers optimal comfort and wearability, exemplifying Apple’s commitment to creating extraordinary user experiences.
Unrivaled Innovation in Hardware
Apple Vision Pro has been meticulously engineered to provide unparalleled computing power within a sleek and compact wearable design. At its core, Vision Pro incorporates a groundbreaking ultra-high-resolution display system that rests upon an advanced Apple silicon chip. Leveraging micro-OLED technology, this remarkable display system manages to accommodate a staggering 23 million pixels, all packed into two displays that are no larger than a postage stamp. With support for wide color and high dynamic range, the visuals produced by Vision Pro are nothing short of breathtaking.
To further enhance the visual experience, custom catadioptric lenses have been integrated into Vision Pro. These lenses play a crucial role in delivering exceptional sharpness and clarity, elevating the overall visual fidelity. Additionally, for users who require vision correction, ZEISS Optical Inserts have been developed to ensure precise visual accuracy and eye tracking.
The combination of the ultra-high-resolution display system, advanced Apple silicon chip, and cutting-edge lens technology results in a jaw-dropping visual experience that surpasses expectations. Apple Vision Pro sets a new standard for immersive computing, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in a compact wearable device.
Industry-Leading Privacy and Security
Apple Vision Pro prioritizes the privacy and security of its users, placing them in full control of their data. One of the key features that ensure secure authentication is Optic ID, a state-of-the-art system that employs invisible LED light exposures to analyze a user’s iris. This analysis is then compared to the securely stored Optic ID data in the protected Secure Enclave, enabling instant unlocking of Apple Vision Pro. It’s important to note that a user’s Optic ID data is fully encrypted, inaccessible to apps, and never leaves the device, ensuring it is not stored on Apple servers.
Respecting user privacy, Apple Vision Pro safeguards the confidentiality of where a user looks while navigating the device. Eye tracking information is not shared with Apple, third-party apps, or websites, ensuring that this sensitive data remains private. Moreover, data captured by the device’s camera and other sensors undergoes processing at the system level, eliminating the need for individual apps to access a user’s surroundings to enable spatial experiences.
As part of its privacy features, EyeSight incorporates a visual indicator that communicates to others when a user is capturing a spatial photo or video. This ensures transparency and empowers users to maintain control over the sharing of their content.
By incorporating robust privacy and security measures, Apple Vision Pro delivers a trustworthy and protected user experience, upholding Apple’s commitment to user privacy and data security.
Pricing and Availability
The starting price of Apple Vision Pro is $3,499 in the United States. It is set to be released in the early months of next year and will be initially available for purchase on apple.com and at Apple Store outlets across the United States. Availability in additional countries is expected later in the same year. Customers will have the opportunity to explore, try out, and customize their Vision Pro experience at Apple Store locations. To find out more about Vision Pro, please visit https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/
FAQs
What are the capabilities of the Apple Vision Pro?
The Vision Pro is Apple’s pioneering 3D camera, enabling you to capture enchanting spatial photos and videos in three dimensions. It allows you to relive those precious moments like never before, immersing yourself in the experience with Spatial Audio. Even your existing collection of photos and videos will appear stunningly remarkable when viewed on this device.
Is a Computer Necessary for the Apple Vision Pro?
The Apple Vision Pro is a standalone hardware device equipped with its own processors. It operates independently and does not require a connection to a Mac or iPhone to function. However, it can seamlessly integrate with other Apple devices when needed.
Is the Apple Vision Pro classified as VR or AR?
Introducing Apple’s groundbreaking Vision Pro AR/VR Headset: A Remarkable Blend of Innovation and Boldness. Apple is venturing into a new realm with this virtual reality and augmented reality headset known as the Apple Vision Pro. With a hefty price tag of $3,500, this device is not designed for the average consumer. Additionally, it won’t be available until early 2024.
Can you wear the Apple Vision Pro with Glasses?
Unfortunately, the Apple Vision Pro does not support the use of glasses while wearing the device. Users will need to set aside their glasses and rely on the Zeiss custom inserts instead. Apple recently unveiled the Vision Pro, an augmented reality and virtual reality headset aiming to carve a niche in the XR industry.
Can Visually Impaired Individuals Utilize an Apple Watch?
Apple Watch can be used in conjunction with refreshable braille displays and compatible Bluetooth-enabled braille keyboards. With a wide selection of over 70 refreshable braille displays compatible with iOS, iPadOS, and more than 100 compatible with macOS, you can find the ideal braille experience that suits your needs.