Vision Pro, Apple's first new product in seven years, officially launched in U.S. stores on Friday
The Mixed Reality headset sold out at Apple Stores across the country, and some enthusiastic shoppers were among the first to get their hands on one of the most innovative tech products of recent years.
Friday morning in Apple's flagship store in New York, CEO Tim Cook greeted customers waiting in the store, shook their hands and took selfies as employees cheered. Around 200 people lined up before the 8am departure, including customers from around the world.
Individuals can also benefit from individual displays in stores on a first-come, first-served basis.
People watch a demonstration of the Apple Vision Pro headphones at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City on February 2, 2024. Apple CEO Tim Cook and senior vice president of Sales, Retail and Team , Deirdre O'Brien, were on hand at the grand opening of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue when the company began selling Vision Pro headphones, the company's first new product in seven years.
CEO Tim Cook has long talked about the potential of augmented reality to help people communicate and collaborate. Now he must prove that a device that combines virtual reality and augmented reality, a technology that overlays virtual images on live video of the real world, is truly the future of computing.
Before launch, Cook called it "the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created."
The first customer leaves the Apple Store with his Vision headphones Pro purchased in New York City, February 2, 2024. Vision Pro, the tech giant's $3,499 headphones, is its first major launch since the Apple Watch nine years ago.
Angela Weiss /AFP/ Getty Images But that won't be the case. it'll be an easy sell: It's a bulky $3,499 computer that you wear on your face. The earbuds will have 256GB of storage, and corrective lens inserts for the device will be available starting at $149. Reading glass inserts start at $99. When you add additional accessories like a $200 travel, battery holder from $50 and more could cost as much as $4,600, the New York Times reported.
The headsets are coming to market at a time when the market for augmented reality (XR), a category that includes augmented, virtual and mixed reality, is stagnant and has little consumer acceptance consumers. The Vision Pro comes with a limited number of apps and connects to an iPhone-sized battery that provides about 2.5 hours of battery life on a single charge.
However, the experience is unparalleled when it comes to watching immersive videos and interacting with the world around you. It's rare to find a new technology that seems innovative, but in the two demonstrations seen by CNN before its launch, it's easy to see a glimpse of the future, or at least a very expensive first prototype.
The user experience
The headphones themselves look like designer ski goggles. It has a soft, adjustable band at the top, a "Digital Crown" on the back (a larger version of the one on an Apple Watch), and another Digital Crown at the top that acts as a sort of power button. Start.
Although it is still an eye-covering computer, it is surprisingly light and comfortable to use.
Set up the process is simple: First, the headset tracks your eyes, scans your hands, and maps the room. Users then see an iOS-like interface in front of their environment.
A person wears a Vision Pro headset during the product launch at the Apple City Store in New York, in February. 2 2024. Vision Pro, the tech giant's $3,499 headphones, is its first major launch since the Apple Watch nine years ago. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Moving your eyes and pressing your thumb and forefinger at the same time activates a "Select" button that lets users open and exit apps like Messages, FaceTime, Safari and Photos. The interface also responds to your voice to activate Siri.
Photos can be viewed in their original size or as if you were watching them on the giant screen of a cinema. Panoramas, on the other hand, place you in the scenery. Vision Pro also offers a spatial photography option, allowing users to view images and videos in 3D for an even more realistic experience.
Employees at an Apple Store on the day Apple's Vision Pro headphones first went on sale, February 2, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. The use cases of the Vision Pro series range from cooking, to meditation, to work. Users can sync their Mac computer to transform the screen into a giant display and connect a physical keyboard.
To maximize productivity, you can open multiple windows at the same time. . Time. : Email can be held on one side, a Safari browser optionally open in the center, and a FaceTime call on the right. When a user uses Vision Pro while using FaceTime, it appears as a character or a digital representation of their face, similar to an avatar.
The real magic sin However, Vision Pro is the best when it comes to immersive video.
During a recent demo, we watched clips of "Star Wars" on Disney+ while I was sitting inside. a virtual representation of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder, a visual experience that will delight any viewer. Meanwhile, it was also surreal to see an underwater scene from "Avatar 2" in 3D that seemed to transport the user directly into the ocean.
Apple has taken steps to address this problem. Reduce the motion sickness problem that affects other headphones, thanks to a custom chip that reduces the latency problem of similar products. Vision Pro features surround sound with sound modules positioned outside the ears to provide rich, immersive sound.
To help users navigate the their new To make using the headphones easier, Apple has included a 10-minute guided tour on its website.
People line up outside the Apple Store in New York City on February 2, 2024, as the Vision Pro headphones launch in U.S. Apple Stores. The Vision Pro, the tech giant's $3,499 over-ear headphones, is its first major release since the Apple Watch nine years ago.
Almost every new Apple product, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch, promises different screen sizes. . We are changing the way we live, work and interact with the world. Vision Pro has the potential to do all this in even more amazing ways. But right from the start, Vision Pro will likely remain a niche product for Apple enthusiasts and developers, especially considering its price, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said during the initial pre-order. Over the weekend last month, the company sold between 160,000 and 180,000 Vision Pro headphones. Delivery times remained essentially unchanged after the first 48 hours, suggesting demand may slow after big fans place orders. Delivery times often increase when new iPhone models run out of stock. Analysts at Morgan Stanley expect the company to ship up to 400,000 Vision Pro units this year.
By - K.B