I just tried out the new Apple Vision Pro. It’s easy for you to do – just sign up for a demo at your Apple Store on apple.com. The demo lasted about 30 minutes, including time to customize to your eyesight and head size. I sat at a table with an Apple employee at my side taking me through a highly scripted presentation.
A lot has been written about the product, so I’m not going to bore you with excruciating details. Instead I’ll bore you with my observations.:
- The product is lighter than I expected and was exceptionally comfortable. After 30 minutes with it strapped to my head, I had no problems with the weight or dizziness, and probably could have worn it for another hour or two.
- I normally wear glasses, so prescription lenses were inserted into the Vision Pro to replace them. The lenses didn’t correct my astigmatism, but it wasn’t an issue. Everything I saw was sharp and crisp, although there iwas a bit of softness around the edges.
- The materials are vintage Apple, from the curved aluminum structure, foam cushion on my forehead, and the soft fabrics that enveloped the rear of my head.
- The device is not a stand alone computer so it needs to be paired with an iPad, computer or phone. For this demo it was paired with an iPad. Think of it as a wearable monitor.
- Navigating around the iPad’s desktop was easy. Just look at a spot on the screen and touch your fingers. That’s the equivalent of moving a mouse cursor on the screen and clicking the mouse button. At times I’d raise my fingers, but it wasn’t necessary. It works even when my hand was resting on the desk.
- The demo was very structured with the agent reading from a script from his phone. It was limited to viewing photos and videos, with no time provided for productivity use, such as typing an email or searching on Safari.
- Viewing your photo library was breathtaking (assume you did a good job shooting them in the first place.) You can zoom in and out, turn a panorama photo into surround much like iMax. Movies shot with an iPhone 15 appear 3 dimensional.
- Watching videos made for the Vision Pro was like being in the scene.
- The product has great potential for traveling virtually to all sorts of destinations. You actually feel you’re there as you look around and the landscape all around you.
- You look in awe as you roam the surface of the moon, sit on the edge of a volcano and stand next to a high wire walker. We’ve experienced something similar watching an iMax movie, but it’ can’t ’s crude compared to the Vision Pro
- There was no hard sell, but I was reminded I could buy a unit and pay for it over 12 months with no interest and try it for 14 days with no obligation.
- While the demo was exciting and impressive, I would have liked to have tried it paired with a computer to try using it in that mode. It’s as likely to be purchased for productivity as for entertainment.
- Notably missing from the demo was a gaming example. A flight simulator or racing car game could be breathtaking. While Apple did almost the impossible in creating the hardware, it’s surprising there were not better applications available at introduction.
- It costs a lot more than the $3500 price advertised. It’s closer to $5000 with Apple Care, more memory and a very large and weird looking carrying case covered in a loose white fabric with a difficult to open zipper.
- If the product was closer to the price of a large monitor, say $1500, it would be hard for Apple to keep it in stock. But at the current price, and limited use right now, it’s a very hard sell. After watching the demo a few times, I’d be disappointed.
- Before I went in, I wondered how I would feel after doing the demo. Often after seeing a new product, I have a strong urge to buy, even though it may be unaffordable. In this case I had no urge, as I imagined I’d be buying something that would prove to be less satisfying for a long while until it had more utility. It’s a product that would easily result in buyer’s remorse.