Apple Vision Pro Headset Unveiled, to Cost $3499

After years of development work, Apple has finally unveiled its Apple Vision Pro Headset which costs $3499.

Apple’s long-awaited augmented reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, has finally been unveiled.

The headset looks like a pair of ski goggles and according to the company, will “seamlessly” blend the real and digital worlds.

As earlier reported, the headset has a separate battery pack and is controllable using the hands, eyes, and voice. The AR headset’s pricing starts from $3,499 and it is set to launch in 2024. The launch will initially begin in the U.S. market, with subsequent launches in additional countries.

Apple is pitching the Vision Pro as an Augmented Reality device. However, the device can be switched from augmented reality to a full virtual reality mode via a dial.

The Vision Pro headset is controller-free. Users can browse rows of app icons through an operating system known as visionOS by looking at these icons.

Users can also tap to select or flick to scroll icons. They can also use voice commands. According to Apple, “hundreds of thousands of familiar iPhone and iPad apps” will automatically work this way.

The Vision Pro headset also provides support for Bluetooth accessories such as Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad and allows users to connect their Mac for use inside the virtual reality headset.

There are also downward-facing cameras that capture the wearer’s hands even if the hands rest low on their body.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset also features a glass front and aluminum frame with five sensors, 12 cameras, a 4K display for each eye along with a computer that appears to be cooled with a fan.

The headset features a mask that Apple calls a “Light Seal” and a strap that Apple calls a “Head Band” which are cloth-lined and with a modular design. Apple says these can also flex to fit different face shapes and head sizes. The Head Band is also ribbed and can fit around the back of the wearer’s head. Users can also swap different styles and sizes of the band.

Zeiss created custom optical inserts that will magnetically attach to lenses for users wearing glasses.

The Vision Pro headset features an external battery that will last for up to two hours and which can connect through a “supple woven cable”, enabling it to slip into a pocket.  The headset can also be plugged into an external power source for all-day usage.

Apple has promised the headset’s display will be extremely sharp and will be capable of delivering a 4K video.

The Apple headset uses an M2 chip. However, the headset also features a new chip that is known as R1.

Apple is promising that the headset will not isolate you from the people around you. When you have it strapped on, the headset will still display your eyes via a system known as EyeSight. If you are immersed in the full VR mode, there is a glowing screen that will obscure your eyes to show that you are not available.

The headset also generates a digital “persona”, a hyperrealistic avatar, by scanning the wearer’s face. The Apple Vision Pro captures a passthrough video that allows the wearer to see the real world in full color. The headset also enables you to overlay 3D objects into real space. You can even pull objects out of a message thread and project them into the real world.

For remote communications, the spatial audio functionality in the headset allows you to do stuff such as arranging FaceTime participants as “video tiles” around a room. You can use it to capture and “relive” 180-degree videos with a 3D camera when you are inside the headset. The headset also supports TV and arcade content such as the display of premium Disney content.

The Vision Pro headset has been undergoing development for close to a decade now. Over the years, it has undergone numerous iterations and postponements. Tim Cook regards it as his signature addition to the product lineup at Apple. So far, it has largely garnered positive reviews from industry observers, even though it will launch the following year. Its main competition will likely be the Meta headsets which have so far registered impressive traction in both the consumer and enterprise markets.

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