Apple Vision Pro Could Take Four Generations to Reach 'Ideal Form'

[MarkNewton2023]

This news is not surprising at all. Every product generally evolves depending on how it is behaving in the market and how the manufacturer responds to the market wants. If I am not mistaken, Apple has already had a plan to make it better in around 2 years from the pilot AVP release to release the second generation. All the AVP customer base will have a choice whether they will upgrade or not. It will be interesting how much the resale or trade in value of the current release when the second generation arrives, if decided on how well the market responds to the current release.
Keep calm, seat tight, wait, and be happy on current AVP and what it is offering. 😊 life is too short to be unhappy on anything.

 

[NT1440]

Vision Pro will run into the same ”problem” as the iPad…it doesn’t run macOS or work like a Mac. It will be declared a toy even though, like the iPad, you can get a lot of work done with it if you aren’t stuck in your old ways.

I would love to operate a “toy” business that consumers have deemed worth of generating profits twice the size of Pepsi Cola 🤷‍♂️

Apple sells devices for experiences. They don’t care about making macOS universal across devices. Their focus is making what they consider the right tool for the task at hand.

I love my Mac, but you can bet your wallet that if I’m looking to do long form reading I’m reaching for my iPad.

Techies don’t like this approach, but when your target audience is *regular people* they’re wildly successful.

 

[toobravetosave]

If the iPad could at least offer Mac versions of apps that would work well enough.

Having a gimped mobile version of word is more damaging than needing to run full macOS

 

[Surf Monkey]

I admire your tenacity and consistency in telling everyone what is and is not cool. Seems that's your one-hit wonder here on MacRumors!

It’s very obviously not cool. It’s also very obviously never going to be glasses or contact lenses.

 

[marstan]

What generation do you think I’m in? Why would someone using different adjectives than you make you think they are triggered?

Adding a timer and preset programs to a pressure cooker is some of the most obviously practical improvements to a pressure cooker I can think of

I don't know what generation you are in nor do I care. I wouldn't paint every member of a generation the same color but there are noticeable tendencies among different groups. In any event, whatever your generation, you don't appear to use language very precisely (again, doubling down on your fav word "insane" I see above).

Regarding the Instant Pot, yes, the electronic controls may be an improvement but the thing was marketed as something that will cook just about anything quickly and with lots more flavor. It doesn't. I tried one and quickly got rid of it. Oh, it cooked baby back ribs in 30 minutes, alright, not counting the ramp up and cool down time (add another 10-20 minutes). But the ribs were virtually tasteless and not all that tender. I hear it cooks rice ok but I cook rice perfectly on the stovetop in a simple pot. A fine example of technology being more trouble than it was worth (in my humble opinion of course).

 

[Timo_Existencia]

It’s very obviously not cool. It’s also very obviously never going to be glasses or contact lenses.

If it's "very obvious" then nobody has to say it over and over and over and over and over...right?

 

[stevemiller]

I have so many feelings about this. I was a pretty early vr adopter and content creator starting as far back as the oculus dk1. It is a fascinating medium and I explored it primarily from the angle of immersive storytelling.

Anyway I say that for context of I’m not some future tech hating luddite. But there is something deeply saddening to me that we want our entire perception of reality mediated to this extent. And to get ahead of the replies that “news flash it already is”, I know. I just hate that it’s become the sought after goal, instead of finding ways to have a more balanced relationship with technology.

For me it’s not about improving the specs, fashion appeal, or app ecosystem to facilitate constant engagement (although of course from a consumer marketing strategy standpoint that WILL be what facilitates wider adoption.)

The thing is, once people get hooked on ANYTHING, it gets very difficult to think critically about it. And again I’m not coming at this from a black and white situation of dictating what people can or can’t have. But messaging matters. And when you have people (*cough* tech influencers who stand to benefit from a potential fresh content stream) preaching that this is the all encompassing future everyone should look forwards to (in a sexier packaging with more megapixels of course), it sorta creates a gravity well of others feeling like they’d better get on board. for better or worse.

My parting thought is that this video’s top comments have gone from “this makes me uncomfortable” to “I want more”… and maybe that’s the aspect of this vision for the future we should be talking about?

 

[VisceralRealist]

I'm curious...for those of you who say "The VisionPro has no use case" but who also say "Call me when this is in the form of glasses and costs $500"...what is the use case you think you'll use it for then? I'm struggling to understand what you'd want from a pair of glasses that you wear all day?

I would like to know that as well.

I will go on the record as saying that even if it were in the form of glasses and cost $500, I still wouldn’t want it.

 

[Surf Monkey]

If it's "very obvious" then nobody has to say it over and over and over and over and over...right?

When the argument is that the device will become mainstream? Yeah. It’s appropriate to point out that it’s an embarrassingly dumb looking thing.

 

[chaospet]

This is what Apple should have done. Make the headset nice and light and have a larger brick for the battery, computing, fans, etc. Weren't there rumors a year or two ago about using an iPhone for the processing and Wifi 6E for the connection? Not unlike wireless Vive that came out years ago. Maybe they tried it and wasn't good enough. But when this thing can be 4-6 oz on the head we'll see a lot of adoption. Until then it's a tough sell.

I'm pretty sure this is the long term plan. As you say, my guess is they tried to get something like that out for the first gen and it wasn't the quality they wanted. But I would wager they will get there.

 

[deckard666]

Maybe in a decade.

Once they ditch the odd eyesight look the price and weight will drop - perhaps a point of difference for the pro and consumer models ?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I have so many feelings about this. I was a pretty early vr adopter and content creator starting as far back as the oculus dk1. It is a fascinating medium and I explored it primarily from the angle of immersive storytelling.

Anyway I say that for context of I’m not some future tech hating luddite. But there is something deeply saddening to me that we want our entire perception of reality mediated to this extent. And to get ahead of the replies that “news flash it already is”, I know. I just hate that it’s become the sought after goal, instead of finding ways to have a more balanced relationship with technology.

For me it’s not about improving the specs, fashion appeal, or app ecosystem to facilitate constant engagement (although of course from a consumer marketing strategy standpoint that WILL be what facilitates wider adoption.)

The thing is, once people get hooked on ANYTHING, it gets very difficult to think critically about it. And again I’m not coming at this from a black and white situation of dictating what people can or can’t have. But messaging matters. And when you have people (*cough* tech influencers who stand to benefit from a potential fresh content stream) preaching that this is the all encompassing future everyone should look forwards to (in a sexier packaging with more megapixels of course), it sorta creates a gravity well of others feeling like they’d better get on board. for better or worse.

My parting thought is that this video’s top comments have gone from “this makes me uncomfortable” to “I want more”… and maybe that’s the aspect of this vision for the future we should be talking about?

See...here's the thing. I don't want a ton of AR invading my life. Nor do I want to escape reality in general to live in some second-life knockoff like Zuck's Metaverse.

And this is why I like the approach that the Vision Pro has taken. I want a device that I can use to accomplish productive tasks and some entertainment, and then I want to put it aside. I don't want it for any kind of social interaction. I want apps and an ecosystem that let me do work.

That's why I asked above why those who hate the AVP but can't wait to have "all-day glasses" what it is that they're really after?

 

[Antoniosmalakia]

Apple has enough money to have left this baking for a few more years.

If it's "very obvious" then nobody has to say it over and over and over and over and over...right?

The same can be said for you and those like you who keep returning to say how amazing it is. We know. You’ve told us.

 

[NT1440]

I have so many feelings about this. I was a pretty early vr adopter and content creator starting as far back as the oculus dk1. It is a fascinating medium and I explored it primarily from the angle of immersive storytelling.

Anyway I say that for context of I’m not some future tech hating luddite. But there is something deeply saddening to me that we want our entire perception of reality mediated to this extent. And to get ahead of the replies that “news flash it already is”, I know. I just hate that it’s become the sought after goal, instead of finding ways to have a more balanced relationship with technology.

For me it’s not about improving the specs, fashion appeal, or app ecosystem to facilitate constant engagement (although of course from a consumer marketing strategy standpoint that WILL be what facilitates wider adoption.)

The thing is, once people get hooked on ANYTHING, it gets very difficult to think critically about it. And again I’m not coming at this from a black and white situation of dictating what people can or can’t have. But messaging matters. And when you have people (*cough* tech influencers who stand to benefit from a potential fresh content stream) preaching that this is the all encompassing future everyone should look forwards to (in a sexier packaging with more megapixels of course), it sorta creates a gravity well of others feeling like they’d better get on board. for better or worse.

My parting thought is that this video’s top comments have gone from “this makes me uncomfortable” to “I want more”… and maybe that’s the aspect of this vision for the future we should be talking about?

Apple drew a very important line in the sand. Eye tracking data is PRIVATE. That means the hellscape of advertising AR will be relegated to the platform that wants that advertising business.

Whatever the Android equivalent to AVP will be, especially if it’s from Facebook, will be a business based on direct emotional manipulation because it will always be aware of your reactions and attention given to the advertising experiences on it.

The video you posted has been around for a long time, and it is the future if this tech unless strict privacy laws on eye tracking data is put in place. Given it’s the US driving the train, I doubt this massively important regulation will be put in place.

 

[smulji]

For the record, I don’t necessarily dislike it. I actually think it’s a technological marvel. But that’s all it is. Technology. There’s no product in there with mass market appeal and it’s going to take more like forty iterations before there is. If ever. Again, only in my opinion 👍

Same was said about the 1st Mac in 1984. Forty years later, it's doing better than ever so you never know.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

One of the few times I agree with Mark Gurman

In the past three years the iPad has become totally decentivized. Unless you're a professional artist there's no point in buying one anymore. Guts of a Mac, but does a lot less than a Mac, and is more expensive than a Mac. So instead of spending $800+ on an iPad Pro, just buy a Macbook instead for the same price. It'll be able to do a lot more, and has vastly longer battery life than even the highest end iPad.

The fact iPadOS updates every year have just been leftovers from the previous year's iOS updates certainly doesn't help. And now with the news that iOS will get sideloading to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, but not iPadOS, the iPad just got even more redundant. Once consumer model Apple Vision arrives and it's at $1500 or lower, it's only gonna get worse for the iPad.

 

[smulji]

Yes but Vision OS proves that Apple doesn't care about that anymore. Neither macOS nor anything like it will ever run on new hardware from an existing company ever again.

What is far, FAR more important to Apple than usability, is control of the platform. iPadOS is locked down in a way the Mac can't be, and that is what Apple wants. To the point of limiting the usability of VisionOS just to keep it locked down.

The day of general purpose, programmable, open operating systems is dead. They have come as far as they are going. There's Linux and BSD and that family, and that's it.

It makes me really sad to say that but until there is a company with incredibly deep pockets that cares more about software freedom than money, it's over. Google was that, for a while. Then Larry and Sergei made more money than god and moved to Singapore and stopped caring about the affairs of mortal men. Apple too, for a while, in a way. And we know what happened there.

There's still Windows 11

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I wonder what percentage of people actually would find the idea of wearing a computer over their eyes to be attractive. The visitors to this site do not represent the general public.

 

[Kazgarth]

That’s not quite true, because two eyes can see more from their respective combined angles than a single camera can capture. Besides the depths, the AI will also have to guess that missing information. It will be an imperfect approximation and will have glitches.

Which is not much, the distance of your IPD.

Very easy for modern AI to fill the gap, it's way smaller than you think.

 

[macduke]

I will say: if you have the 15 Pro, take some of the spatial video now of the people you care about. Or places you go. You don't have to do a lot, but take some now because even with the 1st generation, it is really cool to see our 4 year old from Christmas 2023. I'm sure it will keep improving - it would be nice if it was 4k or 8k for example - but I wish I'd been able to do this of my parents and grandparents. Maybe the 16 Pro will do it in 4k or 8k.

These are irreplaceable moments so take a little of it, if/when you get a AVP or something else to display it, you'll be happy you did.

Is the spatial video from the iPhone really that good on the Vision Pro? As someone who is a photographer, it seemed gimmicky because the spatial separation between the lenses is much lower than human eyes (which would, to my understanding, limit the 3D effect vs. recording with the Vision Pro) and it’s cropping in on the wide angle lens for one side which is typically grainier, especially in low light conditions such as indoors.

 

[Antoniosmalakia]

Is the spatial video from the iPhone really that good on the Vision Pro? As someone who is a photographer, it seemed gimmicky because the spatial separation between the lenses is much lower than human eyes (which would, to my understanding, limit the 3D effect vs. recording with the Vision Pro) and it’s cropping in on the wide angle lens for one side which is typically grainier, especially in low light conditions such as indoors.

I think we can probably expect Apple to rearrange the iPhone cameras to improve that issue, but I fail to see why they’d bother since even if there is a wide adoption of Vision Pro, which there really won’t be, not many people will be rewatching their crap self made 3D videos more than twice, max.

 

[mjs916]

…As for the watch I hate wearing things which doesn't bode well for Vision Pro for me…

Were you one of those kids that kept taking the diaper off and running from mom and dad? 😂

I personally don’t mind wearing tech but I dislike carrying it around. A smartphone and a slim backpack are my limit. That carrying case is massive.

I am going to sign up for a demo at the Apple Store but price, weight and size are keeping me from buying in on this iteration of Apple Vision.

 

[AriaAmaris]

I wonder what the update frequency will be? Hard to imagine people spending $3500 every year to upgrade, but that tech is going to advance quickly I think. On a side note. It makes me dizzy and I don’t like the idea of being cut off from the world to that extent.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Same was said about the 1st Mac in 1984. Forty years later, it's doing better than ever so you never know.

True enough, but you don’t have to wear a Mac on your head in order for it to work. Glasses are out of the question because they cannot provide isolation. So that just leave contact lenses, which people still won’t want to wear, or a brain implant interface of some description. Which is, topically, full-1984.

This kind of thing is closer to four centuries from mass adoption, and that’s if the masses even want it in a world where many are already starting to shun technology. Technology for its own sake does not a good product make 👍

 

[jimbobb24]

You can already use it daily and for hours at a time. It’s already the best way to watch movies in my house.

The apps will come. It already has all the iPad apps and many of those are suitable for getting things done. It can mirror your Mac and this works better than I expected.

Of course it needs to get lighter and more comfortable. But I think it will be a good niche product and for those who get a benefit it’s already useful in this generation. I don’t think it will ever be a universal device. Brain implants will likely be first.