Apple Highlights Developer Reactions to Vision Pro Labs: 'Audible Gasp'

[throAU]

Sorry to be clear what i mean by 3d camera - i mean 360 degree 3d camera…. so you can actually, properly be “in” the movie.

 

[wegster]

And i doubt they will.

MacOS and iOS do not ship with any killer apps for the platform either, this is what giving hardware to developers will achieve. We’re very early days yet.

They can’t develop the next killer app without hardware to test it on.

The real killer app i feel will be a high end apple 3d camera to go with this.

Fair, but the 'for the masses' developers versus the 'for special niches' developers (now companies, sometimes large ones) have pretty different criteria for jumping in. Not to simplify it as there are some pretty great 1-<few> person apps out there, but something dealing with and potentially integrating with e.g. medical or systems with PII/private data of patients are very different things.

I'm genuinely interested to see where it goes. I haven't seen Apple do huge software partnership types of deals, nor seen them step up really in business/enterprise spaces, but it's all possible.

The 3d camera comment is interesting, although - OMG, where to put it?
Hang on, I need to insert my lenses, then strap on my goggles. Wait, let me plug the camera in - where?
Of course, Apple and others have done some amazing things with relatively tiny camera sensors in phones compared to DSLR sensors, so yeah - not buying one, but interested to see where it leads.

 

[throAU]

The 3d camera comment is interesting, although - OMG, where to put it?

I was meaning a seperate device for content creators to make 3d surround videos with (not part of the vision pro unit itself), not integrated into the headset, though that could also work - eventually

I'd imagine the vision pro (higher end) headset could be used to EDIT that content too, with a cheaper unit down the line for viewing it. Think brain dance stuff out of cyberpunk 2077. We're getting closer to it.

 

[Surf Monkey]

My first reaction is that the Vision Pro will democratise memories and immersion. If I were to put my money on one killer feature, it would be the ability to record spatial video using said device, and then rewatch it some time in the future and have the experience of being brought back to that exact same time and location, as though you were present there yourself. Think vital memories of loved ones, your child's first birthday, the last memory of your parent before passing away, that sort of thing.

Right now, I imagine the equipment needed to even record this sort of thing is both unwieldy and inaccessible to the common folk, much less do it properly. Now, anyone with a $4k headset will be able to just put it on and record his surroundings without having to do anything extra on his end, or even physically hold up a smartphone. Is it expensive relatively to a smartphone or even a decent digital camera? Perhaps? But what price the ability to relive your most precious moments?

I feel that's the one thing Apple nabs better than many other tech companies out there. The ability to appeal to one's emotions, and not just bundle tech for tech's sake. They don't term themselves as being at the intersection of arts and technology for nothing.

The only demo we have of this shooting video was exceptionally creepy.

 

[Tagbert]

The only demo we have of this shooting video was exceptionally creepy.

To me it just looked like a dad in the late 80’s recording part of a birthday party with a huge camcorder. It was clunky, expensive and looked silly unti,l eventually, it was neither.

 

[JamesHolden]

My first reaction is that the Vision Pro will democratise memories and immersion. If I were to put my money on one killer feature, it would be the ability to record spatial video using said device, and then rewatch it some time in the future and have the experience of being brought back to that exact same time and location, as though you were present there yourself. Think vital memories of loved ones, your child's first birthday, the last memory of your parent before passing away, that sort of thing.

Right now, I imagine the equipment needed to even record this sort of thing is both unwieldy and inaccessible to the common folk, much less do it properly. Now, anyone with a $4k headset will be able to just put it on and record his surroundings without having to do anything extra on his end, or even physically hold up a smartphone. Is it expensive relatively to a smartphone or even a decent digital camera? Perhaps? But what price the ability to relive your most precious moments?

I feel that's the one thing Apple nabs better than many other tech companies out there. The ability to appeal to one's emotions, and not just bundle tech for tech's sake. They don't term themselves as being at the intersection of arts and technology for nothing.

What you're describing is a Black Mirror nightmare. The memory episode from the first or second season remains my all time favorite. It seemed so scarily plausible, not that far in the future...

I agree with you about Apple appealing to one's emotions better than other tech companies. That said, look at what a big deal they made about sending a heartbeat with the Apple Watch...and where is that feature now?

To me the idea of recording spatial video and reliving it is depressing. It's just the logical evolution of image capture technology, but to me it crosses into creepy territory. What you describe, having "the experience of being brought back to that exact same time and location, as though you were present there yourself", doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I can just imagine all the people who will get lost in those memories, who are more worried about recording some mundane life event with a bulky helmet than they are with actually experiencing the event itself. I think about this all the time when I see people at concerts who practically record the entire show...but never actually experience it.

I hope humanity rejects the future Apple is trying to peddle with Vision Pro. It's very cool tech and I find it very impressive, much more so than I thought I would, but it feels fundamentally anti-human to me. The smartphone has segregated, siloed, and disconnected us. Now Vision Pro will make those silos more immersive.

 

[George Dawes]

I really do feel this has the potential to be a true game changer , especially in the field of home entertainment

Imagine being able to carry around a 100+ inch 4K 3d screen with surround sound in your pocket !

 

[Surf Monkey]

To me it just looked like a dad in the late 80’s recording part of a birthday party with a huge camcorder. It was clunky, expensive and looked silly unti,l eventually, it was neither.

Having lived through the 1980s I can report that a large camcorder is nowhere near as creepy and unnatural looking as the VP. I don’t see a lot of mothers using it (notice that they only showed a dad) and I seriously doubt many wives will be thrilled about their husbands using it around their children.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I really do feel this has the potential to be a true game changer , especially in the field of home entertainment

Imagine being able to carry around a 100+ inch 4K 3d screen with surround sound in your pocket !

Spatial audio isn’t really surround sound and while media consumption appears compelling initially, the problems arise the moment you consider watching something with someone else or a group of people in the same room.

It still strikes me that the VP made a lot of sense while the pandemic was going on but seems tone deaf now that it’s over. The VP is clearly isolating to the wearer and off putting to people around him/her/them. It’s difficult to envision a “game changer” that’s primarily a solitary experience requiring a headset.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

I was meaning a seperate device for content creators to make 3d surround videos with (not part of the vision pro unit itself), not integrated into the headset, though that could also work - eventually

I'd imagine the vision pro (higher end) headset could be used to EDIT that content too, with a cheaper unit down the line for viewing it. Think brain dance stuff out of cyberpunk 2077. We're getting closer to it.

Reminds me of the movies Brainstorm and Strange Days.

 

[_Spinn_]

It will be very interesting to see how this actually sells when it is released.

 

[Pinkyyy 💜🍎]

interesting, earlier in the year when I was skeptical about this the reaction from people here was: Apple will do this right, it's like when the iPhone was introduced ... fast forward a few months and almost everyone here complains about the price ...

For me it's not really much about the price, but unlike the iPhone, I just feel like it's not for everyone. People who wear eyeglasses as an example. I wear glasses, and they said you'd have to get prescription lens so you can use the Vision Pro if you wear glasses. This for me is kind of a bummer because I don't wanna get prescription lenses, so I don't really think this product is for me (at least for now).
However, there's no doubt that the technology is great, but it's still not for everyone (yet). At least this can be said about the current generation. It's a first-generation product after all, so it'll definitely be getting more improvements in the later generations. And perhaps by then, it could possibly become more appealing/suitable to a larger group of people.

I'm not the one to judge the success/failure of a product before it's even out after all, as many people thought the iPod/iPhone/iPad would fail when they were first introduced. I do think the Vision Pro will sell, though I highly doubt it'll become the norm and replace the iPhone. It'll just be another product category targeted to a specific group of people, but not for everyone, kinda like the Mac Pro for example. I just think it'd feel a little bit awkward to use it in public right now, so I can see it being used mostly at one's home or desk if they'll be doing some work with it or maybe watching a movie, etc. But I don't think anyone would be walking in the streets wearing this on their head lol (especially for how expensive it is too, you definitely don't want it to be stolen from you 😉).

 

[wegster]

For me it's not really much about the price, but unlike the iPhone, I just feel like it's not for everyone. People who wear eyeglasses as an example. I wear glasses, and they said you'd have to get prescription lens so you can use the Vision Pro if you wear glasses. This for me is kind of a bummer because I don't wanna get prescription lenses, so I don't really think this product is for me (at least for now).

What would be cool is if instead, the displays could be adjusted (or some form of optical overlays) to 'set your prescription' from the device itself, e.g. even if it were via 'eye chart' and 'better or worse' without requiring separate prescription lenses. I'm not an optometrist nor optical expert although have some fundamentals from photography, but seems like this 'could' be done via modern technology within at least a typical range of corrections.

 

[Pinkyyy 💜🍎]

The price is a problem, but it will go down with time. The biggest problem is not working with prescription glasses.

Apple Vision Pro could be awesome to watch 3D movies, and most people will want to use it for that. JUST FOR THAT AND ONLY FOR THAT. Not for fancy virtual interfaces, to control the Mac interface or other awkward interface applications, except for disabled people perhaps.

But the lack of support for standard prescription glasses is a DEAL BREAKER. And no, contact lenses or magnetic inserts are not acceptable workarounds for most people. Just imagine having to spend a lot of money on new magnetic inserts each year, as would be required by many people. And the obnoxious huge environmental impact of all that.

But there is a solution., if Apple wants, of course. Just support prescription lenses with Apple Vision Pro. Or sell two models: one not supporting prescription lenses (current one), and other only to watch 3D movies, allowing prescription glasses (which would also be a much much, much cheaper model, selling like hotcakes). Problem solved for all.

Probably Apple will not do that, unless forced to do it. If sales of the current Apple Vision Pro are scarce and people ask for the other model, Apple could make it. That would be awesome.

As someone who wears glasses, I totally agree. In fact, if they did offer a cheaper model with support for prescription glasses, I might actually consider getting one !

 

[Surf Monkey]

What would be cool is if instead, the displays could be adjusted (or some form of optical overlays) to 'set your prescription' from the device itself, e.g. even if it were via 'eye chart' and 'better or worse' without requiring separate prescription lenses. I'm not an optometrist nor optical expert although have some fundamentals from photography, but seems like this 'could' be done via modern technology within at least a typical range of corrections.

Astigmatism can’t be corrected that way.

 

[Pinkyyy 💜🍎]

What would be cool is if instead, the displays could be adjusted (or some form of optical overlays) to 'set your prescription' from the device itself, e.g. even if it were via 'eye chart' and 'better or worse' without requiring separate prescription lenses. I'm not an optometrist nor optical expert although have some fundamentals from photography, but seems like this 'could' be done via modern technology within at least a typical range of corrections.

That would honestly be a great technology. If this ever becomes a reality, I can see it being 'possibly' implemented in the Vision Pro in the future generations. That would definitely be better than having to get contact lenses. Though I'm not really sure if this will be possible for all kinds of corrections.

 

[Pinkyyy 💜🍎]

Astigmatism can’t be corrected that way.

What about Myopia ? I'm Myopic, but idk if Myopia can be corrected this way or not..

(I also find it a little funny how Apple talked about Myopia and how you shouldn't get too close to the screen earlier in the WWDC, then they later introduced the Vision Pro which is basically a screen on your eyes lol)

 

[Tagbert]

What about Myopia ? I'm Myopic, but idk if Myopia can be corrected this way or not..

(I also find it a little funny how Apple talked about Myopia and how you shouldn't get too close to the screen earlier in the WWDC, then they later introduced the Vision Pro which is basically a screen on your eyes lol)

The concern was about your eye spending a lot of time focused on something close. For the VP your eyes are actually focusing on a virtual point further out. I think around 3 feet/1m. To your eyes, the images from the VP appear further out.

 

[Surf Monkey]

The concern was about your eye spending a lot of time focused on something close. For the VP your eyes are actually focusing on a virtual point further out. I think around 3 feet/1m. To your eyes, the images from the VP appear further out.

This will still represent a serious problem for eye health. Refresh rate will come into play as well as resolution, focus point and so forth.

 

[wegster]

Astigmatism can’t be corrected that way.

Which ironically I do have a level of, most notable on red dot type optics on firearms becoming more like a ‘blooming star.’

As mentioned, not an optometrist but was not thinking solely of seeing this via digital means necessarily, but possibly via both physical and digital means. Can’t be done ‘right now this OTS tech’ certainly doesn’t mean ‘can never be done.’ At least by some quickly pulled statistics, seems like over half of the US population (numbers I pulled started at 18, so adults) need eyeglasses, so assuming various ‘headwear’ type tech takes off, maybe it’s worth someone pursuing.

Was pricing on the inserts announced? I haven’t quite kept up on all things VP, e.g. are they standard lenses that just slot into faux ‘frames’?

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Insert pricing has not been announced. Zeiss optics will be providing the inserts, and will grind the lens to your prescription. I’m guessing it’ll be cheaper to get contacts, especially over the long haul, unless you want to buy replacement optics as your prescription changes.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Insert pricing has not been announced. Zeiss optics will be providing the inserts, and will grind the lens to your prescription. I’m guessing it’ll be cheaper to get contacts, especially over the long haul, unless you want to buy replacement optics as your prescription changes.

Zeiss lenses are amongst the most expensive out there. How is this shaping up to be a device for a broad audience?

 

[pdoherty]

I just got prescription lenses for my Quest 2 VR for $90 including all costs.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I just got prescription lenses for my Quest 2 VR for $90 including all costs.

I’d expect Zeiss lenses to cost at least twice that much.

 

[pdoherty]

I’d expect Zeiss lenses to cost at least twice that much.

They are Zeiss lenses.