Vision Pro - page 2

Apple’s new immersive concert video Metallica will give Vision Pro owners a unique experience of one of the band’s pulse-pounding shows. Filmed during the band’s M72 World Tour, it captures three Metallica songs in ultra-high-resolution, 180-degree video and Spatial Audio.

In a press release Tuesday, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich described the immersive video as a revolutionary twist on the standard concert film.

“Game-changing is putting it lightly,” Ulrich said. “Seeing our concert like that, along with the energy of the Mexico City fans — it’s very immersive, and it’s super-fun. We’ve always been interested in pushing the boundaries, and Metallica on Apple Vision Pro is exactly that.”

A major visionOS update in April will add Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro. It will reportedly also introduce an updated guest mode and a new spatial content app.

Apple will roll out these features with visionOS 2.4 in April. The beta will drop as early as the week beginning February 16th.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple pulls the plug on a secret AR glasses project. What does this mean for Vision Pro?

Also on The CultCast:

• Erfon discusses the pros and cons of the 13-inch iPad Pro.
• Apple’s latest earnings call yields some astonishing factoids.
• Apple still plans to fix Siri — and to roll out the delayed CarPlay 2.
• We end with a laugh at one of the craziest iPhone cases we’ve ever seen.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

In a significant shift in its augmented reality strategy, Apple suddenly discontinued development of its lightweight AR glasses project this week, according to a new report Friday. This marks another adjustment in the company’s pursuit of mainstream wearable technology. The project, known internally as N107, aimed to create normal-looking glasses with built-in displays that would connect to Mac computers.

Health care leaders from 10 countries gathered in San Diego Thursday to explore Apple’s Vision Pro for surgery and other medical uses, and especially how it can further transform medical procedures and patient care, according to a new report.

The 300-person summit, hosted by Sharp HealthCare, marks another milestone in the device’s adoption by medical institutions since its 2024 launch, almost exactly a year ago. While broader public discussion of the headset tends to pine for a cheaper version, health care pros seem over the moon about how cheap $3,500 per unit is compared to their usual gear.

It’s time for Apple to get into smart glasses. This is an emerging product category that combines AI, cameras and audio… three components that the iPhone-maker is either already expert at or is working hard to improve.

Apple Glasses could be critical for the company long term because it would be an important step toward someday making the Vision Pro AR headset into a viable product.

Will 2025 be a big year for Apple’s exciting new Vision Pro platform? With a fast new chip, a major software upgrade and more jaw-dropping content, there could be a lot in store for the AR/VR headset next year.

The fledgling device is likely to get worthy new hardware upgrades — and maybe even a price drop. visionOS 3, the next major software update, will have had a full 12 months in the oven. That means it could be a substantial release. And as production of 3D immersive content continues to get easier, there may finally be a lot more spatial video to watch on the headset. In fact, that could turn out to be the device’s killer app.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: According to the latest Apple rumors, the 5G OLED MacBooks we’ve been anticipating forever are finally on the way … in 2026.

Also on The CultCast:

• A quick rundown of some of the fun new features in iOS 18.2.
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 might gain a feature that could save your bacon in an emergency. Plus, Cupertino’s still working on another potentially lifesaving feature we’ve been waiting on for years.
• And we wrap up with the first installment of our top picks for the best stuff of 2024.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

In a strategic move that could reshape the mixed-reality landscape, Google and Samsung announced a partnership Thursday to develop a new mixed-reality headset running on the Android XR operating system, according to a new report. Clearly, the Google and Samsung Android XR headset directly challenges Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s headsets in the premium market.

The collaboration aims to create a more accessible and diverse ecosystem for extended reality (XR) devices, potentially offering buyers, including Apple users, alternative options in the growing mixed-reality space. More competition could impact both features and pricing, of course.

The new Solos AirGo Vision smart glasses released Tuesday pair with ChatGPT artificial intelligence as a direct competitor to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. Both cost a relatively affordable $300 or under. And the new entrant introduce several innovative features, including a modular design that addresses privacy concerns common with camera-equipped wearables.

“We promised to deliver on allowing consumers to have control of their experience with AI and smart technology, particularly with privacy options in mind,” said Solos co-founder Kenneth Fan. “That’s why we developed frames that can easily be changed to decide when and where a camera may be appropriate without sacrificing any of the fun features.”

Popular Science magazine named Apple’s Vision Pro headset one of its innovations of the year among new 2024 gadgets on Monday. Despite its considerable price tag and initial market challenges, the device’s revolutionary approach to augmented reality sets it apart from competitors.

“The device has its own hurdles to clear, but after just a few minutes of using it, it was clear that it’s something different, important, and honestly pretty amazing,” the magazine wrote.

Support for Sony PlayStation VR2 hand controllers is reportedly coming to Apple’s Vision Pro headset. The goal is supposedly to make playing virtual reality games easier on the AR headset.

Apple and Sony allegedly worked together for months to make this happen.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed details about the company’s approach to artificial intelligence and defended its Vision Pro headset in an extensive interview Wednesday. In a now-familiar refrain, he discussed the company’s strategic entry into generative AI while addressing criticisms about Apple’s seemingly delayed response to the AI boom.

“We never talked about charging for it,” Cook said of Apple Intelligence. “We view it sort of like multitouch, which enabled the smartphone revolution and the modern tablet.”

Apple’s Vision Pro will go on sale in Taiwan on December 17. Pre-orders for the spatial computing headset will start on Thursday, December 5.

Prices for the headset start from NT$119,900, with higher storage models costing extra.

Apple named the finalists Monday for its annual App Store Awards. These awards honor “exceptional user experience, design, and innovation,” according to the Mac-maker. App awards come in a range of categories, like iPhone App of the Year, Mac Game of the Year, and many more.

The nominations aren’t just kudos for developers — they’re a great way for users to find high-quality software.

In what could be a breakthrough for wearables and other electronics, xMEMS Labs unveiled Sycamore on Tuesday. It’s the world’s first full-range near-field MEMS micro speaker. Measuring just over one millimeter thick, the innovation promises to make some noise with compact gear you don’t put in your ears. Those would be items like open-fit earbuds, such as AirPods and sport earphones, smartwatches like Apple Watch, AR glasses and headsets like Vision Pro, and other consumer electronics.

Like other xMEMS micro speakers that bring solid-state sound to earbuds and headphones, the new technology uses a novel “sound from ultrasound” platform. It generates full-frequency audio from ultrasonic waves within a chip-sized form factor.

“With Sycamore, mobile electronics can now achieve thinner, more stylish form factors while maintaining big, rich sound,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of marketing and business development. “With better performance at both the low and high ends, Sycamore delivers powerful, full-range audio for smartwatches, smart glasses, and any other small, mobile form factor that engineers dream up.”

We’ve been on the hunt for a Vision Pro setup that looks like something a little more developed than the headset sitting on a table. And we found one this week when a developer showed huge enthusiasm for ultra-wide Virtual Display capability available in beta software. So now he hides his setup’s MacBook Pro, dons the headset and sits at a desk with nothing but a mini Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse on it. But his super-minimalist desk belies his expansive and productive virtual view.

According to a reputed Apple analyst, Apple’s cheaper Vision might only arrive after 2027. This contradicts recent reports of the AR/VR headset launching in 2025.

Instead, Apple will seemingly launch an upgraded Vision Pro with an M5 chip in 2025.

Apple is expanding Vision Pro’s availability to more countries. The company announced on Thursday that its spatial computing headset will launch in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on November 15.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of marketing, said in a post on X, “Apple Vision Pro is coming to South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on November 15! We’re excited that customers in a dozen countries and regions will get to immerse themselves in the world of spatial computing!”

Apple reportedly might end production of the Vision Pro by the end of the year. That doesn’t mean the mixed-reality headset is about to be discontinued, however.

Still, Cupertino apparently now has its focus on the cheaper Vision version that could launch in 2025.

You can encapsulate Apple’s approach to innovation in four words, according to a new profile of CEO Tim Cook: “Not first, but best.” It’s not a new sentiment, but Cook doubles down on it in a long magazine article that came out over the weekend, complete with interesting tidbits about his life and his journey with Apple, past and present.

And in a colorful side note: The man apparently loves Diet Mountain Dew. And yet Apple Park doesn’t stock it, so he doesn’t get to drink it as much as he used to. (Theory: Cook banned it himself in an act of self-discipline.)

After a full day of toiling inside Vision Pro, I often keep my headset on for evening entertainment — shows, games or looking at photos. Vision Pro has almost completely replaced my television. It enables a new way of watching videos as well; I watch video all around the house as I wander about doing chores.

The Vision Pro also excels for perusing my photo library. It’s the best way to view photos ever — and by a huge margin. Spatial photos are unbelievable. Videos look fantastic. Panoramas, a largely forgotten feature, are mind-blowing.

In other areas, Vision Pro disappoints. I’ve played some super fun games, but gaming isn’t a serious thing on Vision Pro yet. And while Apple’s own immersive 3D movies on Apple TV+ are super cool, it feels like we’ve only been given an appetizer.

Watch our video or keep reading for more detail.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iPad mini 7! But does this mean Apple canceled its October Mac event? And if so, are updated M4 Macs still coming this year?

Also on The CultCast, we discuss a “Cheaper” Vision headset, what Steve Ballmer is up to, plus Apple’s smart home strategy.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Despite suffering modest sales with consumers, Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset seems to be finding an unexpected but promising application in the medical field, particularly in surgery, according to a new report Tuesday.

So as Vision Pro helps surgeons and patients — and even cash-strapped medical providers — it could be a big deal in healthcare.

Apple’s cheaper, lower-end Vision headset might reportedly arrive as early as 2025. It will seemingly cost around $2,000 and make several compromises to reach the lower price tag.

The Cupertino company is also “considering” launching its own pair of smart glasses in 2027 alongside AirPods with cameras.