Apple Vision Pro Reviews and Unboxing Videos Shared Ahead of Launch

[adamkharris]

I think it is maybe a little bit early to make any hard judgements on this, it has only just come out into the wild. I have been following the Vision Pro fairly lightly since it was announced and, while I am not particularly interested in having one, I am interested to see how it develops over time. Apple has a good track record of improving its software in a timely fashion.

It is a bit of a shame that there is no killer app for the headset at launch, that would have shown off some of the AR features and given everyone a taste of what could be possible.

Mind you, I have a Quest 3 and there was no killer app for that when I got it at launch and to me, there is nothing that is really amazing on that hardware just yet.

Will be interesting to see how the general headset market develops now and if other manufacturers up their game a bit.

As usual, software is where it's at.

 

[Duncan-UK]

Nilay sounds like he's never used a VR device before. Like, he took issue with the straps messing up his hair and the fact that the passthrough camera quality still isn't as good as your eyeballs...

Given how so many people seem to have stupid/crazy hairstyles this could be a big issue!

If it leads to a revival of "sensible" hair cuts then that's a fringe benefit...

 

[Rychiar]

Is this the worst reviewed 1st gen Apple product? In general no one is blown away by it.

I can’t imagine so . The iPad was made fun of as just a giant iPhone and kind of silly and the first Apple Watch was slow and not waterproof and kinda boring.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple has a good track record of improving its software in a timely fashion.

It does?

Apple does?

 

[jz0309]

I'm referring to large companies and their investments and push towards experiences that are described as "very lonely" and "isolating"

Obviously anyone can choose whatever they like, but what these large companies push and invest in very much impacts direction overall

I assume you are referring the Apple, Meta etc?
Yes, for consumers as the “new hangout” I certainly share that, the way the metaverse has been “touted” is beyond creepy for me…

For me, this type of technology has so many non-consumer use cases…

 

[Lazlow]

Great product, but incredibly isolating experience. I don’t think humans are designed to use computers that isolate us from the rest if the world.

Many would argue that smartphones have isolated us from each other...

 

[Jensend]

One of the reviews, can't remember which, mentioned barrel distortion on straight lines and edges..

I believe he was talking about watching videos captured on the Vision Pro on standard screens.

if you happen to watch them on anything but a Vision Pro, you’ll notice some barrel distortion as the camera moves around.

That's fine, though. It could just be that the video captured by the Vision Pro is optimized for the optics of the Vision Pro.

I did find this, though:

You can easily see motion blur when you move your head in the Vision Pro — motion blur that increases in low light and leads to some weird warping of straight lines.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Almost seems like their briefing went as far as telling them what kind of preview photo to use for their videos. It all looks the same

That's YT telling them what kind of thumbnail to use in order to get more clicks, not Apple.

 

[Zimmy68]

I really don’t understand why people take her seriously. I was falling out of my chair laughing at her excitement over the cleaning cloth.

I guess people overlook the insincerity for the positive energy, but come on; she shouldn’t be in same list as Joanna Stern.

I don't know why people watch a second of her videos.
Someone who has free, expensive Apple products rained on them is giving a "review"?
Why not just watch an Apple promo video?

 

[adamkharris]

It does?

Apple does?

I guess it all depends on your perception of things.

I am quite pleased with how my Apple stuff works these days and still think my devices are pretty slick and have come a long way.

Perhaps my expectations are fairly low - one of the biggest revelations to me of late, is how I can drag a file from my iMac screen onto my Macbook Pro screen seamlessly

 

[Abobrek]

Many would argue that smartphones have isolated us from each other...

Funny how Tim Cook literally was quoted about how “isolating” VR is but…here we are 🤣

 

[Surf Monkey]

Nilay sounds like he's never used a VR device before.

Opposite. He sounds like someone who has a lot of experience with these kinds of devices and isn’t especially enthusiastic about the Vision.

Like, he took issue with the straps messing up his hair

Been saying this would be an issue for months.

and the fact that the passthrough camera quality still isn't as good as your eyeballs 🤔

Of course. No matter what the blind faithful here imagine, a camera and screens are NOT your eyes and will never be.

 

[contacos]

I believe he was talking about watching videos captured on the Vision Pro on standard screens.

That's fine, though. It could just be that the video captured by the Vision Pro is optimized for the optics of the Vision Pro.

I did find this, though:

Don’t forget that according to The Verge, the viewing angle (is that the right word?) is actually smaller than on a Quest 3 and even there I am sometimes annoyed by the black circle of the headset itself (I am lost for words right now. I can’t even say it in Spanish or German 😅) It’s basically like looking through a toilet roll, just bigger. Once you notice it …

 

[gnipgnop]

The displays have other limitations: the field of view isn’t huge, and the essential nature of looking at tiny displays through lenses makes that field of view feel even smaller. Apple won’t tell me the exact number, but the Vision Pro’s field of view is certainly smaller than the Quest 3’s 110 horizontal degrees. That means there are fairly large black borders around what you’re seeing, a bit like you’re looking through binoculars.

Just have to see if Patel is really correct about that. The Brian Tong review mentioned the light reflection issue with very bright movie scenes while watching in a fairly dark environment but never said anything about FOV seeming too small. I've seen other articles (like the one below) that say reviewers considered the FOV to be similar to other headsets in the range of 100 to 120 degrees FOV.

The insane technology behind Apple Vision Pro

Apple always remained tight-lipped about the Metaverse and Extended Reality, unlike Mark Zuckerberg, who openly discussed and advocated these concepts. However, if we delve into Apple's history of patents and acquisitions, it becomes apparent that Apple has been secretly developing their mixed-reali

www.linkedin.com

"Although Apple hasn't disclosed the Field of View (FOV) of the Vision Pro headset, journalists who have tried the device mention that it competes with other AR/VR headsets offering a FOV ranging from 100 to 120 degrees."

 

[Jensend]

Holy crap watching Nilay's review I gained a new level of respect for The Verge (regardless of their new clown colored horrible website). Very fair and balanced, critical where it needed to be critical, and it just felt very real and authentic. The VP still baffles me as a consumer product other than as a very expensive VR headset. Maybe Apple should have kept it as a halo product for a few years mainly for developers instead of a full on consumer release. And even as a VR headset it seems to have many more limitations than we initially thought, FOV, color gamut, and Nilay's excellent point on having to point your eyes after decades of using computer peripherals without looking at them. It's pretty clear why some Apple higher ups were rumored to be infighting against the VP.

How do you know it's "fair and balanced" *shudders* if you haven't tried it yourself?

critical where it needed to be critical,

How do you know where it should be critical?

 

[Abobrek]

This is an underrated comment

I question whether this type of device is even the direction we should be aspiring to go in

Tim Cook himself was quoted with how “isolating” VR is. But this is “Spatial Computing” MAJOR difference.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Many would argue that smartphones have isolated us from each other...

Phone screens don’t encompass your entire field of vision.

 

[Rychiar]

I have the quest 3 and I agree that Meta has had a heat start and devs were on the bandwagon way back then. The fact that we got steamlink now and xbox support is great for gamers - will apple even consider these? who knows.But as a new quest 3 user, it will be interesting to see how many similar apps from meta ports over to the vision pro in time.

this is where is Rory about this thing not having controllers. Hard to game without accurate motion controllers with buttons

 

[swingerofbirch]

The Verge and WSJ reviews were good.

I had been mentally evaluating the value proposition and use cases of it assuming all the high tech stuff worked flawlessly and was still unconvinced.

Once you read about the tech's flaws and limitations, it seems that much more of a dud. Or a stopgap.

Tim Cook had been so careful, and it seems like he finally played his hand. And like we all knew all along, he doesn't have any great ideas. This was more brute force throw everything and the kitchen sink at it, we can afford to this better than anyone else, but it doesn't have an idea behind it.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

I don't watch unboxing videos from "techfluencers," why would I? I've seen enough to know they're terrible self-promotion and generally puff pieces. This time is no different. And I'm sure missing out on my one click will not harm them in the least, it's not about that. I'm just not interested in this content at this stage, or the entire ecosystem that promotes this stuff. I guess that includes this MR story with all these links, and a forum thread that is doing the same.

Wake me up in a few days when some tech journalists have spent some time with the device and they have real thoughts that are independent from what these folks need to do for Apple and YouTube to keep their channels profitable.

EDIT: Okay I did watch the WSJ one, because I expect a level of quality and independence from them that I don't expect from most of the others, and she delivered. Quite well done, and you can tell it was produced with some careful thought and preparation and standards.

 

[Zimmy68]

I was of course never going to buy this (I think you would be crazy to lay down $3500+ when Apple is well into developing VP2) but the Verge review surprised me with...
Small field of view "like binoculars".
Weight "like wearing a 12" iPad Pro on your head?
Battery Life/Pack.

There would also be so much more value added to the "screen" part if you could add an input (no HDMI, no PC).
Of course Apple wouldn't allow it (at least on version 1.0).

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I'm so glad that in a few days, many of us on here will have our own AVPs and the broken-record haters won't. And so when they begin to repeat the same nonsense over and over, we can just ask "have you used it?"

I've now watched all the videos. Waiting for the rest from Marques.

My takeaways (and yes, I'm already a fan boy, so no need to point that out).

- It's an elegant device. I think it's beautiful
- I didn't think anyone looked "dorky" wearing it.
- The dual-loop seems like a last-minute design. I'm sure that will improve or a 3rd party will build an alternate.
- No stickers!
- The Verge: Balanced, but he also highlighted a lot of positives that the haters are ignoring
- Marques: He seemed to really like the difference the dual-loop made. Looking forward to the rest of his vids
- Brian: I'm glad there is just some unbridled joy represented. So what? Even if you hate the AVP, can't you just see it though the eyes of wonder and let go of your criticisms for a moment? The AVP represents some cool tech. Just be a kid for a bit. (or don't, if that's just too off-brand for you.
- Joanna: I liked her quirky review, doing things I'd thought you could never do. She showed that you actually could cook a meal with the AVP on. She went skiing. Of course that's silly, but it also showed that the pass-through is pretty useable.
- iJustine: She represents a different market segment. She's not a techie. But she did show a lot of things that others didn't. And she was having fun. Showed a friend using guest mode. Not everyone needs to be a serious tech geek trying to be taken too seriously all the time.
- Toms Guide: So balanced with none of the need to prove anything either way.

I'm even more committed to buying the device now than I was. I am so looking forward to what is to come.

Your mileage may vary. But so what? It doesn't have to be a debate.

 

[vannibombonato]

The killer app today must be immersive video live streaming of sports and events.
In order to make this attractive for a few millions instead of a few hundred thousands, I believe that would be enough, and would accelerate development and resources available.
Also, I do think that people would absolutely pay extra for like a front row live seat at an nba or soccer match.

In other words, a totally worth it very expensive “tv” that will in time also do other cool stuff.

 

[Jensend]

Don’t forget that according to The Verge, the viewing angle (is that the right word?) is actually smaller than on a Quest 3 and even there I am sometimes annoyed by the black circle of the headset itself (I am most for words right now. I can’t even say it in Spanish or German 😅) It’s basically like looking through a toilet roll, just bigger. Once you notice it …

Just have to see if Patel is really correct about that. The Brian Tong review mentioned the light reflection issue with very bright movie scenes while watching in a fairly dark environment but never said anything about FOV seeming too small. I've seen other articles (like the one below) that say reviewers considered the FOV to be similar to other headsets in the range of 100 to 120 degrees FOV.

The insane technology behind Apple Vision Pro

Apple always remained tight-lipped about the Metaverse and Extended Reality, unlike Mark Zuckerberg, who openly discussed and advocated these concepts. However, if we delve into Apple's history of patents and acquisitions, it becomes apparent that Apple has been secretly developing their mixed-reali

www.linkedin.com

"Although Apple hasn't disclosed the Field of View (FOV) of the Vision Pro headset, journalists who have tried the device mention that it competes with other AR/VR headsets offering a FOV ranging from 100 to 120 degrees."

I've actually done an analysis on the likely FOV. These are the lenses from the AR models on the Apple and Quest 3 websites. If you shrink down the Quest 3 lenses (in black) to about 75% vertically, they almost perfectly match the Vision Pro lenses (in orange).
FOV is a function of the size of the lenses and the distance they are from your eyes. So at an equal distance, the Quest 3 will have similar horizontal FOV, but greater vertical FOV.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Someone who has free, expensive Apple products rained on them is giving a "review"?

Brian specifically mentioned it was a loaner unit. They weren't gifted it.