The Keynote from WWDC23 was unusually jam-packed with huge announcements. Naturally, the first official details of new iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS versions came to light, as is traditional. But Apple also used its annual developer conference to take the wraps off quite a bit of hardware.
And CEO Tim Cook used Apple’s classic “One more thing” line to unveil Vision Pro, the augmented-reality headset that was the absolute star of Monday’s Keynote.
At today’s Platforms State of the Union, Apple went into more depth on the updates coming to their software: interactive widgets for iOS, iPadOS and now on the macOS desktop; big updates to watchOS; and the introduction of visionOS, the operating system that runs on Apple’s new Vision Pro.
There are loads of new features that developers will be able to take advantage of that Apple didn’t highlight in the main Keynote. Thus far, they’ve covered improvements to the in-app camera, a standard tips balloon, and an easier way to make animations in SwiftUI.
One key feature of Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset certainly made a splash after Monday’s unveiling. But it wasn’t “spatial computing” or the way you dial in reality while wearing the sci-fi-looking goggles — it was the Vision Pro’s eye-popping $3,499 price tag.
Shortly after the big reveal during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, “For $3500” trended on Twitter, with people jumping on the chance to take the piss out of Apple’s pricey new product.
This might be the future of computing, but some of these jokes are hilarious.
Apple’s long-awaited Vision Pro headset features all of Apple’s apps in a floating, immersive 3D space that’s designed to let wearers interact seamlessly with the real world, rather than walling them off in a virtual one.
“Vision Pro will introduce us to spatial computing,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during the recorded WWDC23 keynote Monday as he unveiled the pricey device. “This marks the beginning of a journey that will bring a powerful new dimension to personal technology.”
The company described it as “the first Apple product you look through, not at.” Vision Pro starts at $3,499 and will be available early next year.