The Apple Headset
The Vision Pro is here. Is the future here too?
Apple launched the Apple Vision Pro headsets, and the memes have been promising.
I could go on, but we’ve seen this before. So, when are you getting yours?
I decided to take this time to discuss why society goes crazy over the latest Apple product, my experience with the Apple Vision Pro, and whether these goggles are here to stay.
Apple’s Cultural Impact
Every year, when Apple makes a major announcement, it's a significant event for a large segment of the population. I've noticed that friends diligently livestream the annual Apple Event, often simultaneously broadcasting on Instagram stories that they're watching. During these events, Apple announces the latest updates to their product lineup, including the annual iPhone and Mac hardware updates, software updates, and additions to popular products like the Apple Watch or AirPods. It's a highly anticipated event that generates excitement and buzz among tech enthusiasts and consumers alike.
What an impact the above has had on today’s society. But let’s rewind a little and discuss the iPod.
The iPod was a big deal: it was sleek, compact, and a household name. My first one was the 5G iPod Video in 2005, which co-promoted with the bands U2 and Gorillaz. It was compatible with both .mp3 and .mp4 files, so that I used to watch movies and music videos while on long road trips. I had to pay $0.99 to buy one song; thus as a 10-year-old, I kept my collection of 10-15 songs very sacred. A small scratch on the screen sent me into frantic panic, and the Internet told me Brasso metal polish helps removes cracks. It didn’t really work for me.
For awhile, I used to carry both my Android smartphone and the iPod together. I didn’t want to move my existing playlists and my carefully curated collection from the 160GB over to my smartphone with limited space. That didn’t look very pretty.
Smartphones became more widespread when I was in high school around 2010. Since I was living in Seoul at the time, I naturally leaned into Samsung’s Galaxy S1 and would stay with Androids for the next 10 years.1 This was a wild concept; I could now browse on the Internet and check my Facebook notifications when I’m out!
Lately, Apple announced iOS 18’s "stunning” new features to come in June, with AI to take a greater role as expected. Yet both Android and the Google Pixel have generative AI capabilities already, while iPhones do not. If anything, Google’ Gemini AI model will be integrated into Android phones, but we don’t see as much mainstream discussion over this (Huawei is out of contention for now).
I feel that many people aren't actively seeking out the latest cutting-edge technology for its own sake. Instead, they tend to participate in a collective movement driven by the necessity to adapt to rapid technological advancements in our lives. Failing to do so could lead to falling behind, widening generational gaps even further.
The Headset
The Vanity Fair interview with Tim Cook highlights praises for the Vision Pro from directors James Cameron and Jon Favreau. However, it's the following quote that resonated with my concerns:
“I’m sure the technology is terrific. I still think and hope it fails,” says one Silicon Valley investor. “Apple feels more and more like a tech fentanyl dealer that poses as a rehab provider.”
Harsh, but in simple terms: tech advancement is reinforcing our addictions and there is no solution. We are already glued to our smartphones and a mere “go outside and touch grass” won’t solve it, because we’d still have our phones with us. Soon enough, it might even be the Vision Pros.
To be clear, The Simpsons episode aired a few years ago when virtual reality (VR) headsets like Oculus Rift (acquired by Meta) were already around. However, the Oculus was developed for gaming, while the Vision Pro encourages a new experience in “spatial computing”. Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee notes there is no “killer app” and Netflix/YouTube aren’t even compatible, but the focus itself is on the vast ecosystem:
Truth be told, that review got me pretty hyped. The Vision Pro builds on integrating my actual reality for a mixed reality (MR) or augmented reality (AR) experience. Realistically, the boundaries of these terms are unclear, although the point of MR is that the physical should blend with the digital.
I can see the Vision Pro becoming a part of many professional settings, especially for presentations. I would much prefer a seamless experience rather than attempting to share my screen on Zoom followed by a “Can you all see this screen?”.
My Experience
I'd scheduled a personalized demo experience at the Apple Store. It's a 20-minute session where a designated staff member guides you through all the details and features step by step.
It took me some time to adjust to the scrolling and clicking, but once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing. Getting used to "pinching" instead of touching took a bit of practice, but having the option of a virtual keyboard really came in handy when I needed to type into a web browser.
The WOW:
Panorama - The viewing experience is pretty sweet, especially for panorama photos.
3D Videos - The Vision Pro comes with a 3D video camera, and one of the demos allowed me to virtually join a kid's birthday party, creating an immersive experience that felt like I was actually there. However, taking 3D videos requires putting on the headset. For instance, I'd imagine the awkward delay when I say something like, "Hold on, don't blow out the candles yet. Let me grab my Vision Pro real quick."
Immersion - At the end of the demo, they showcased an immersive video featuring various scenes, like being courtside at an NBA game, standing in a pasture with rhinos approaching, and diving underwater with sharks. It was incredibly cool and felt realistic.
Spatial Audio - I watched a snippet of The Super Mario Movie, and I was thoroughly impressed by how theater-like the experience was, especially the surround sound. What's really cool is that you can adjust the viewing settings to feel like you're sitting in the front, middle, or back rows of the theater, as well as choosing between ground or balcony seating. It truly enhances the immersive experience.
Multi-Screen - Similar to having multiple monitors for a workstation, with the Vision Pro, you can have various apps open by dragging them to separate spaces – like your left, your front, your right, etc. – as if they were separate monitors. Once you get used to the pinching and scrolling, I'm sure there are ways to make this setup highly productive. It opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for multitasking and efficiency.
The HMM:
Weight/Size - It’s heavier than I expected, and it took some time to adjust to the strap over my head. While it's technically portable, I'm not fully convinced just yet, especially until they make it more compact. A lighter and more streamlined design would definitely enhance the overall experience and convenience.
Fatigue - After staring at the screen for 20 minutes, my eyes felt a bit tired. I think, for now, the maximum duration I could comfortably use this is maybe an hour. I'm sure there's an option to adjust brightness and such, but it'll take some time to get used to and find the optimal settings for reducing eye strain.
Pricing - $3500 sticker, and post-tax we’re looking at around $3800 in NYC.
The bottom line is that it's undeniably pretty cool, although personally, I'm not sure if it's "$3500 cool." The experience felt like I was immersed in a video game, akin to Assassin's Creed, or even like I was Tony Stark in Iron Man with the Apple staff acting as my very own JARVIS.
It will be truly wild when they manage to make this technology a bit smaller and more affordable for the general public. The potential for widespread adoption and the immersive experiences it could offer are truly exciting to imagine.
The Next Steps
We didn’t get to try this feature during the demo, but I am particularly interested in Apple’s avatars that are spawned for Facetime. Supposedly, one's hair, makeup, and accessories stay intact during the scanning process, which is quite impressive. I can only assume that as technology advances, the graphics will become even more realistic over time. These avatars seem to be more in line with what people may have envisioned for the Metaverse, offering a glimpse into the potential future of virtual interactions. I don’t feel the same way for Meta’s VR avatars that look like The Sims or Miis just yet, but it’s important to note that Apple is a hardware-based company. Meta is capable of building its own state-of-the-art headset, but it doesn’t need to.
Speaking of the Metaverse, there's a lot we can discuss regarding why we don't explicitly talk about it as much today, but the elements have always been present. Games like Fortnite and Roblox, which have Metaverse-like qualities, are still thriving, and much of the public still associates virtual reality (VR), which also requires a headset, with the concept of the Metaverse.
It's interesting to see how these elements are already integrated into our lives, even if we don't always recognize them as part of the larger concept of the Metaverse. I found this essay by tech investor Matthew Ball really informative in summarizing how the Vision Pro (and the terms AR/VR/MR/XR) correlate with the Metaverse:
This future will feel very different from loading an app or webpage, but no one knows exactly what it will look like or how it will operate. All the same, many are convinced we’ll want (or need) new devices to help navigate this future - optical AR/MR glasses and passthrough AR/MR, sometimes just VR - plus AI that can “see,” understand, and help run the real and non-real, too.
Maybe one day, the Vision Pro will have a more compact successor in the size of sunglasses. That’s gonna be wild.
As to AI - Generative AI tools including ChatGPT and Adobe Firefly are available apps on the Vision Pro. There’s not much of a huge announcement here yet, but it’ll largely be dependent on the respective AI platforms to develop compatible features. Let’s see where this goes.
One day, we’ll be wearing a bunch of Apple tech - Apple Watch, Airpods, and the Vision Pro - with our iPhones. Maybe there’s more to come, like a brain chip (like Neuralink) or some kind of heart implant? I hope not for now.
It’s a great time to be curious about where tech is taking us and how society will adapt in response. I’m just glad I’m already a working adult but I’m really not sure yet how to explain all the ramifications to the future generations.
I’ll have more exciting news to come in late February and March! Let’s connect and touch base soon.
-Wooseok Ki (Wooski)
For some reason my law school classmates made a big deal out of getting ‘green texts’ in the group chat, and I eventually succumbed to the iPhone 12 in 2020.