Vision Pro - page 8

Apple has a huge problem with the Vision Pro that no one has talked about: It’s highly addictive!

The astonishing visuals that Apple’s new headset pumps directly into your eyeballs make the real world seem dull, according to Nick Bilton, a Vanity Fair reporter who got behind-the-scenes access for a cover story published Thursday.

In fact, Bilton says Vision Pro is “like a drug” that offers a “dopamine hit.” And an unnamed source in Bilton’s story likens the Vision Pro to “tech fentanyl.”

A day ahead of Vision Pro’s release, Apple put a spotlight on more than 600 new “spatial” apps and games made specifically for the headset. They join more than a million Vision Pro-compatible apps Friday in the App Store.

“Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.

The first reviews of Apple’s Vision Pro gush compliments on the augmented-reality headset, with one reviewer calling it “mind-blowing” and another “stunning.”

However, there’s also plenty of criticism for the high price, weight and slim collection of software available when the product launches later this week.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Vision Pro preorders didn’t exactly go smoothly last week. In our post-mortem, we discuss what went right, what went wrong, and why we can’t wait to finally get our hands on Apple’s headset.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple plans to radically change the App Store … for Europeans.
• An update on new iPads and new Macs that seem poised to pop out of Tim Cook’s magic pipeline.
• The Apple car is still on the road to release. However, it might arrive a little later (and a lot less amazing) than we were led to believe.

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.

Apple quickly ran through its launch-day inventory of Vision Pro headsets Friday, but customers continued to place preorders for units to be delivered later. The weekend total could have reached 180,000 units, according to a report from a trusted analyst.

Wait times for the device to be delivered now stretch out to March, but questions remain about long-term demand.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple Vision Pro preorder week brings interesting new details about the mixed-reality headset. Will it be a sellout success? An amazing entertainment device? A $3,499 pain in the neck?

Maybe all of the above! We go over the last-minute pros and cons.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple Watch drops a key health feature, but the patent fight’s not over yet.
• Cupertino’s compliance with “anti-steering” mandates won’t please anybody, especially developers like Epic Games.
• Got an old iPhone gathering dust somewhere? We’ve got some DIY projects for you.

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.

Check out Apple’s new video for the Vision Pro: It’ll definitely give you FOMO. Labeled a “guided tour,” the 10-minute video shows a newbie user testing the AR/VR headset for the first time.

You’ll see lots of moments where the newbie gasps with Steve Jobs’ famous childlike wonder. But while Vision Pro looks amazing for consuming media, the video suspiciously skips over work you might do with Apple’s new spatial computer. It’s mentioned, but briefly: Here’s your workspace, now let’s watch Godzilla!

There were gasps when Apple first revealed that the Vision Pro headset costs $3,499, but shoppers who load the spatial-computing device up with additional storage and Apple’s recommended add-ons pay almost twice as much.

But to put that price in perspective, an earlier ground-breaking Apple product — one that changed computers forever — cost even more than that when it launched decades ago.

Even if you have zero interest in buying a $3,499 mixed-reality headset, you should stop right now and watch the new Making Apple Vision Pro video. It’s an absolutely mesmerizing video that shows the elaborate manufacturing process for Apple’s upcoming “spatial computing” device.

It takes just over a minute to watch, and it’s truly stunning!

How much does Apple Vision Pro weigh? That was one of the great mysteries about the $3,499 mixed-reality headset before Apple published the Vision Pro technical specifications Friday.

The answer? Between 21.2 and 22.9 ounces. That’s 1.325 to 1.431 pounds, or 600 to 650 grams. (The “weight varies depending on Light Seal and head band configuration,” Apple says.)

Seven months after its announcement at WWDC23, Apple started accepting preorders for its Vision Pro headset Friday morning — and quickly sold out. Shipping dates for the company’s first AR headset slipped within minutes of preorders opening.

The preorder also answered some questions about the Vision Pro. Plus, if you want one, you still have a chance to get one. The $3,499 mixed-reality headset — which Apple hails as the dawn of “spatial computing” — goes on sale February 2 in Apple retail stores in the United States.

Friday morning ushers in Apple’s era of spatial computing when the Vision Pro goes on sale, and the cutting-edge headset is likely to sell out almost immediately.

But that won’t be a sure indication of huge demand for the new product — Apple has reportedly produced a relatively small number of the $3,499 headsets.

The Apple Vision Pro headset might be a real pain in the neck, according to new reports after the latest round of demos. Three separate people reported feeling discomfort or even pain after wearing the headset for short periods.

Each of the people also expressed some level of appreciation or even amazement regarding the Vision Pro’s immersive visuals. However, if strapping the headset on for a half-hour proves uncomfortable for a majority of users, that’s going to be a serious problem that no amount of spatial computing wizardry — or even an ugly strap — can overcome.

New entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro on February 2 should be dazzling, as users can turn any space into a personal theater, enjoy more than 150 3D movies and experience “the future of entertainment” with Immersive Video, Apple said Tuesday.

“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Will Apple Vision Pro win the world over to “spatial computing” when it launches on February 2? With the $3,499 mixed-reality headset coming so close to reality, it’s time for a serious talk.

We’re all super-curious about Vision Pro. But the hefty price tag and lack of a clear purpose leave us wondering if it’s a solution in need of a problem. (If nothing else, we like the new Vision Pro ad.)

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple apparently plans to keep the first Vision Pro reviewers on a short leash.
• The buzziest gadget at this year’s CES certainly looks cool. But what can it do?
• We’ll believe that an AI-boosted Siri is smarter when we see it.
• Are expensive cables worth the extra cash? Torture tests by Consumer Reports raise some eyebrows.

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.

Apple’s fun new Get Ready video for the upcoming Vision Pro headset is clearly intended to ratchet up the hype for the spatial computing device scheduled for release in early February.

The new advert shows a wide range of celebrities putting on visors in iconic film roles. That makes it strongly reminiscent of a 2007 ad released before the launch of the original iPhone.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset finally has a release date. Apple will accept preorders for Vision Pro in the United States starting Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. Pacific, the company said Monday.

The headset’s retail availability will begin February 2 at all U.S. Apple Stores, with in-store demos also beginning that day. You also can place your Vision Pro order through Apple’s online store.

Apple reportedly already started shipping the Vision Pro headset in small quantities to its U.S. warehouses. From there, the AR headset will reach the company’s retail stores.

All these preparations suggest a February launch, ensuring Apple will stick to its promised “early next year” timeframe for releasing its next major product.

Apple promises that its Vision Pro will be out “early next year,” but a noted tipster has the release of the cutting-edge AR headset narrowed down to February.

The product is supposedly already in full production in China.

iOS 17 brought dozens of great features and changes, but the latest 17.2 update adds even more.

The headline feature is the new Journal app — other new tweaks come to iMessage stickers, NameDrop and Apple Music. If you have a new iPhone 15 Pro, you can record Spatial Videos and use the Translate app directly from the Action button. You can also customize more notification sounds and StandBy.

Here are the ten best features in 17.2.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs is on the rocks. What does that mean for the future of Apple Card?

Also on The CultCast:

• The latest iOS 17.2 beta reveals some interesting new features.
• Apple’s deal with Arm is pretty sweet … and pretty annoying for Arm!
• Those panicky headlines about NameDrop you’ve been seeing that paint the iOS 17 feature as danger to children? Ignore them.
• Apple seems pretty committed to Vision Pro: Multiple lower-priced versions of the headset are reportedly in the works.

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.

Apple is reportedly still working on the Vision Pro’s distribution plan and final testing. Due to this, the mixed-reality headset will launch around March 2024.

This is a couple of months later than the company’s initial target of a January launch. At the “Wonderlust” event on September 12, Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed the Vision Pro is “on track to ship early next year.”

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to allow unregulated devices to use the 6 GHz band to wirelessly communicate over short ranges. Apple could use this to enable fast communication between its Vision AR headsets and other computers, like an iPhone.

Apple is one of several companies that asked the FCC to make the change back in 2019.

Apple is expanding the Vision Pro developer labs to additional regions. This will allow more developers to try out the mixed-reality headset ahead of its launch in early 2024.

The Cupertino giant is opening new Vision Pro developer labs in New York, US, and Sydney, Australia.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: An iOS 17 update supposedly will stop the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button from triggering in your pocket, at least in certain circumstances. Is this really a problem that needs fixing?

Also on The CultCast:

• When it comes to upcoming Macs and Apple Watch, this week’s no news sounds like very bad news indeed.
• Apple’s Vision Pro headset seems to be straining the necks of some pencil-necked geeks.
• For this week’s Under Review segment, I’ve got a unique-looking charger and Erfon and Griffin bring very different sorts of cameras to the podcast’s version of show and tell.

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.