Vision Pro is one of the most ambitious products by Apple, and it is jampacked with advanced technology. It comes with a whole new software program called Vision OS, along with an app ecosystem to match it.
It was first revealed at Apple’s WWDC 2023 conference with a hefty price tag of $3,500. The announcement created waves in the tech industry, but the price triggered various relatable yet hilarious memes on X.
However, despite the long wait and hefty pricing, Vision Pro surprisingly lacks much polish and purpose. A lot of early reviewers have raised questions regarding the exorbitant price and what you get from it.
This is why we decided to review all the features of Vision Pro in-depth. We’ve also compiled real user reviews, to give you some idea of whether it is worth the investment. So, let’s get started!
Image Source: ZDNET
Part 1. Features of Apple Vision Pro
The first thing you notice about the Vision Pro is the large size and the striking resemblance with high-end ski goggles. The second thing you notice is a 3D-printed ribbed fabric band that circles your head when you wear it.
The “spatial computer”, as Apple calls it, blends your physical reality into its digital world. So, when you use it you feel like all the apps, browsers, or games windows are floating around in your real world.
Image Source — Apple
Let’s have a look at all of the key features of Apple’s new-generation product: the Vision Pro.
Rotating Crown
The Rotating Crown is one of the only two physical controls on Apple Vision Pro. This digital crown is similar to the Apple watch but in Vision Pro it lets you transition from virtual reality to augmented reality. You can also adjust the level of immersion and control how focused you want to be.
Image Source — Apple
This is a powerful feature that lets you stay connected for example, when in a work environment. But when you’re watching movies you can tune out of your reality and surround yourself with virtual spaces called “Environments.”
Immersive Environments
The Environments on the Vision Pro let you transform your physical world into an entirely new place. They are not just static background images. They are living and realistic landscapes with their own sounds and lighting levels for every time of the day.
Image Source — Apple
Environments on Vision Pro have 10+ locations so far including Moon, Haleakalā, Yosemite, and more! Imagine watching movies and preparing presentations while walking on the moon, sitting on Mount Hood or Joshua Tree! Features like “Spatial Audio” and immersive videos elevate the experience even more!
Spatial Audio and Video
The Vision Pro lets you play back spatial videos captured by itself and also by the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
You can play the videos in a separate window. But the immersive style erases the borders. They become “glowy and dream-like to give it characteristics of a memory,” as said by Inverse’s Raymond Wong.
Image Source — Apple
Spatial videos are recorded using spatial audio. Vision Pro utilizes dual-driver audio pods situated next to each ear to deliver theatre-like sound. Audio ray tracing analyzes and matches the sound qualities of your space. So, the sound seems to originate from all around you!
Responsive Eye-tracking and Hand Gestures
Another feature that ensures seamless navigation through Vision Pro is its use of senses such as eyes, voice, and hand movements. Your eyes act as a mouse pointer for navigating the interface. Hand gestures allow you to click, scroll, zoom in and out, etc.
Image Source — Apple
This is controlled by an eye-tracking system of infrared cameras and a ring of LEDs. These project visible light patterns into your eyes to detect the tiniest movement and predict where you want to click. Hand gestures are detected by various cameras facing front, downwards, and sideways as well as infrared illuminators and LiDAR scanners.
The Eyesight Feature
Vision Pro’s wildest feature that is meant to differentiate it from its competitors is the “Eyesight.” The motivation behind this feature is to connect the people around you to yourself when you’re using the Vision Pro.
Image Source — Apple
Whenever someone approaches near, the external display on Vision Pro projects a digital image of your eyes to them similar to the Persona. “Your eyes are a critical indicator of connection and emotion,” said Apple, “so Vision Pro displays your eyes when someone is nearby.”
Personas for Facetime
Apple has also introduced a unique way to engage in Facetime with Vision Pro. The headset allows you to place all the participants in scalable separate tiles each delivering spatial audio. But the most groundbreaking feature is the creation of 3D digital avatars for Facetime.
Image Source — Apple
According to Apple, Vision Pro uses neural networks to create a digital avatar called a “Persona.” It is created by scanning your face with the sensors on the front of the headset and matches your eye movements, facial expressions, and hand gestures.
Optic ID for Vision Pro
Apple’s new biometric authentication system replaces Face ID and fingerprint scans which are pretty futile for AR headsets. The Optic ID in Vision Pro uses invisible LED light to recognize and register your iris. It can be used to unlock Vision Pro, fill in your passwords, and complete your payments through Apple Pay.
Image Source — Apple
According to Apple, your Apple ID is secured within the device with an encrypted hardware chip and is not accessed by apps. The Optic ID is also made possible by the high-performance eye-tracking system of LEDs and infrared cameras on Vision Pro.
Part 2. Inside Apple Vision Pro
Apple’s Vision Pro is a technological marvel cramming a ton of incredible tech into a headset. It makes you wonder what’s inside this spatial computer. Thanks to the early teardown carried out by iFixit, now we know for sure.
The teardown gives us a closer look at the headbands, light seals, face cushions, lens inserts, and especially the eyesight display. But an important takeaway from the breakdown is that Vision Pro is definitely not made to be broken. So don’t try this at home!
Image Source — Apple
Here’s a closer look at what’s inside this high-end technology as shown by iFixit.
Weight Distribution in Vision Pro
The first thing tackled inside the Vision Pro is its weight distribution. Apple specifies that the device weighs around 600–650 g which can change depending on light seals and headband adjustments.
Of this weight, the glass contributes 34 grams. But in combination with the battery, Vision Pro weighs over a kilogram. The battery itself consists of three iPhone-sized batteries constituting an overall 353 grams of weight. The weight distribution, as iFixit put it, “largely rests on your face.”
Light Seals: Apple’s Attention to Detail
The Teardown shows that Vision Pro uses 28 different light-seal parts to accommodate various face sizes and shapes. These seals also adjust for different eye positions with Zeiss lens inserts.
Image Source — Apple
The seals attach to the headset with magnets. B magnetic seeneath theals is a permanent seal, which is wrapped in a knit fabric. When this seal is removed, a thin stretchy sheet of plastic is revealed which as iFixit puts it, “looks very masked superhero.”
What’s Behind EyeSight Display
The eyesight feature received much scrutiny in the teardown. iFixit noticed various intricacies in the front-facing display. They suggested compromises were made to achieve Apple’s vision. The eyesight uses three display modes
● Internal focus
● External engagement
● Do not disturb.
It seems that Apple aimed for a 3D-looking face with eyes, using lenticular lenses to achieve a stereoscopic effect. This involves displaying multiple images sliced up and viewed from different angles to create a 3D face.
However, this approach compromises horizontal resolution, leading to blurry images. Another layer of lenses stretches the projected face to fit the width of the Vision Pro but adds to the blurriness and darkness of the display.
Lens Inserts for Impaired Vision
iFixit shared an X-ray image showing the Ovoid lens inserts in the Vision Pro headset. Apparently, Vision Pro automatically adjusts interpupillary distance upon wearing.
So, for people needing corrective lenses, it is a welcome feature. iFixit also shared that Prescription lenses are available through Apple Stores however limitations exist for those with astigmatism.
Image Source — Apple
R1 and M2 Chips
The Vision Pro also uses dual chips for an enhanced immersive experience. It utilizes the M2 Mac chip along with the new R1 chip. R1 chip uses a real-time operating system.
It is responsible for processing input from the LiDAR sensors, 12 cameras, and the TrueDepth camera to the displays within 12 milliseconds. This creates a lag-free and real-time virtual view of your surroundings.
Part 3. Real User Reviews of Apple Vision Pro
Now that you know all the incredible tech and features, the Vision Pro can deliver. Here are some key takeaways from the real user reviews flooding in since the official release of Apple’s Vision Pro.
1. Best for Immersive Displays
The Vision Pro is largely praised for its immersive videos and displays. For CNET’s Scott Stein, the very first thing he noticed about Vision Pro was how good the displays were. “It’s vivid, richly colored, HDR, and just stunning,” he writes.
“The headset is superb at delivering on one of its promises: playing video, including high-definition movies and your own recordings in 3-D that let you immerse yourself in past memories, which is both eerie and cool,” says The New York Times X.Chen.
2. The Technology is Incredible
The use of high-end tech and seamless transitioning between AR and VR is another greatly appreciated feature of Vision OS. As The Verge’s Nilay Patel puts it, “It sounds simple, but it is an astonishing engineering achievement to do that in real time, at high resolution, in a computer that fits over your eyes.”
He further adds, “It’s the sort of first-generation device only Apple can really make, from the incredible display and passthrough engineering to the use of the whole ecosystem to make it so seamlessly useful.” CNBC’s Todd Haselton compliments it by saying “It feels like the future.”
3. It Feels Heavy After a While
The weight of the Vision Pro has garnered mixed reactions from early reviewers. Some seem unfazed by it, while others find it somewhat inconvenient.
“The most noticeable thing about the hardware after a while is that it’s just… heavy.” wrote Patel. While he welcomed the stability the dual loop strap offers he further adds, “(it) doesn’t really reduce the overall sensation of having all that headset on your face. You’re just going to feel it after a while.“
4. The Personas Are Weird
While the sleek technology and immersive displays gathered a lot of praise, the Personas received as much criticism. Apple seemed to anticipate it and labeled the feature as “beta.” CNET’s Scott Stein calls them “the weirdest part of Vision Pro.” He says, “I tried it in some test FaceTimes, and it’s weird. My family thought it looked like an airbrushed almost-version of me.”
Todd Haselton adds, “Mine (persona) looked like a much older version of me. My colleague thought I looked like an 80-year-old man. My wife laughed.” Nilay Patel calls them, “deeply weird and extremely uncanny.”
5. The Eyesight is Uncanny
The idea behind the Eyesight is unique but it is also the biggest failure, as argued by Macworld. CNET has even called it creepy and some Apple fans find it downright terrible. “Sometimes my eyes seem to half-appear. And they blink. They seem to frown, or dart around, or go wide or squint. They animate as my face emotes. It’s uncanny,” says Scott Stein.
Moreover, Nilay Patel writes, “When people do see your eyes, it’s a low-res, ghostly image of them that feels like CGI. The effect is uncanny — the idea that you’ll be making real eye contact with anyone is a fantasy.”
Part 4. Is Vision Pro worth buying, and why?
So, is Apple’s new generation product with an incredibly exorbitant price worth your investment? The answer is an enthusiastic “Yes” but also an adamant “No.”
VR’s are nothing new and names like Meta, HTC, and others have already leaped into this field. But if you, like many Apple enthusiasts, were waiting for a new generation product from Apple, this is your chance to experience it.
Compared to competitors like Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 3, Vision Pro is less bulky and definitely more pleasant to look at. Plus, Vision Pro offers a higher resolution for displays. You also get a better battery life of 2 hours although it costs way higher than other comparable VR headsets of 2024.
The only area where Vision Pro may earn an adamant No is its hefty price tag. Currently, it costs $3,499 without any additional storage and accessories. Plus, if by any chance you wear glasses, you’ll be paying an extra $99-to-$149 for Zeiss inserts. And it only gets higher with more accessories.
But, Vision Pro is not the most expensive product from Apple yet. Apple’s Mac Pro computer costs $6,999 which is double the price of Vision Pro. Additionally, Microsoft’s HoloLense 2 also costs the same $3500 after arriving in 2019.
Vision Pro is not just a purchase it is an investment. So, should you buy it? If you want to wear the future on your head that will only get better over time and if you can afford to do it, then why not. But if you want to make smart choices, then you may wait for the rumored cheaper version of Vision Pro.
Part 5. The Best PDF Editor for Mac — UPDF
Since we’re talking about all things sleek and Apple, here is an enhanced way to handle your PDF documents on Mac with UPDF!
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UPDF also lets you convert, organize, compress, and batch-process PDF documents of any size in seconds.
Conclusion
Apple has a long history of introducing something later than others but with better tech and branding. Vision Pro with VisionOS has opened a new line of products for Apple. And if Apple’s reputation is anything to go by, the VisionOS will only get better with each new version.
As far as the pricing is concerned, once the novelty of the mixed reality headsets settles in, we will experience various price ranges for VisionOS just like Apple’s iPhone, iMac, and other products.
For now, we will call it a wrap-up with the verdict that Vision Pro is impressive but needs more polishing. It may not be perfect but comes very close.
