Did Tim Cook tell the truth about what Vision Pro can do? (video clip)

[goonie4life9]

Knowledge is what empowers useful you critique of any subject. OP’s comment was not supported by knowledge of the product. It also offered no product feedback or any authoritative evidence for implying that Tim Cook lied about VisionPro — a product for which OP has a small fraction of the information that Tim Cook has. Despite this lack of knowledge OP still felt empowered to critique Tim Cook’s statements and disparage his character by insinuating that he lied. Most people would consider that bad form.

Correction: Nothing Apple has provided or demonstrated indicates that the Vision Pro, "can do anything your Mac or iPhone can do and more." For example, an iPhone can independently make a call over a cellular network. Apple has provided no evidence the Vision Pro can make independent calls over a cellular network. The most parsimonious explanation for why Apple didn't say this is because the Vision Pro can't do this. Suggesting that the Vision Pro has all these secret features is far more speculative than the OP suggesting Cook was incorrect in what he said (regardless of the reason for his incorrect statement).

 

[Analog Kid]

I'm going to say the following 'Tongue in Cheek' as a reply to the few who wish to argue that Tim was fine on saying that, despite it not being able to do what a Mac and iPhone can do.
And your argument is that, it COULD be programmed to do those things, hence what Tim said was perfectly valid.

So, let's take your viewpoint, and I'll put forward the following imaginary scenario and see if you stick my your view

---Made up news to prove a point---

When interviewed about the new Quest 4, Mark stated the following:
"It can do anything your Mac or iPhone can do and more"

I'll now use your argument in defence of Mark here, and say that Mark was really just saying that it has the potential to do all of those things, once the developers and meta have developed the software to make this a reality.

We know the Quest 4 can't do what an iPhone or Mac can do today, BUT it has the potential to be programmed to in the future.

Yes, my view would be the same. I don't know why people think half the forum is in thrall to Apple and have abandoned reason at the homepage.

If Facebook made that claim, and if the hardware was comparable to what it appears the AVP will have, then I would have the same "whatever" response I have to Cook's comments. I'd just be typing it with bloody knuckles and a cracked screen because Zuckerberg has the most punchable face in tech.

(Please don't post that image again, these Studio Displays are expensive to replace.)

This was a promotional spot to get excited about the future this new hardware can bring us to. Why are people insisting on dissecting it like a NASA preflight check?

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

So, Tim Cook saying that VisionPro can do anything the Mac or iPhone does is somehow a failure to communicate? How is that? It is a simple statement that is unstandable by most. That is the definition of clear communication. Whether you choose to believe that statement is another matter, and we are all entitled to choose and hold our own beliefs.

However, to imply that Tim Cook lied when he made that statement is something different. To lie is to state something you know to be a falsehood. Such accusations are a challenge to a person's integrity and should not be made lightly or without supporting evidence. To insinuate that Tim Cook lied, the OP should have evidence about VisionPro that supports that insinuation. The OP provided no such evidence. That insinuation is on the slippery slope to slander and should be a concern for everyone who wants MR to remain a forum for civil discourse.

Where did I say he lied?

Fact is the chance of it being able to do everything a mac or iPhone can do, based on his own released pictures and hardware specs doesn’t seem like a good way to market it

It can do similar things to what a desktop can do or iPhone, while showing a demo would have been I would have done it

But outside of selling it for $200 I ain’t in the market for something that straps onto my face anyways

 

[heretiq]

Correction: Nothing Apple has provided or demonstrated indicates that the Vision Pro, "can do anything your Mac or iPhone can do and more." For example, an iPhone can independently make a call over a cellular network. Apple has provided no evidence the Vision Pro can make independent calls over a cellular network. The most parsimonious explanation for why Apple didn't say this is because the Vision Pro can't do this. Suggesting that the Vision Pro has all these secret features is far more speculative than the OP suggesting Cook was incorrect in what he said (regardless of the reason for his incorrect statement).

Seriously? Apple gives a ~1 hour preview highlighting the key features of an upcoming product. Then Apple CEO gives an interview and provides further information on the product vision where he mentions something not stated in the product preview. He is then accused of lying or speculating about the product that he is overseeing development of -- by people who know 1% of what he knows about said product. What's wrong with this picture?

 

[NT1440]

An entire thread on being purposely pedantic over a throwaway line, neat.

VisionOS is built using common frameworks across Apples other platforms. It has all the core functionality you can get with an iPhone or Mac.

 

[goonie4life9]

Seriously? Apple gives a ~1 hour preview highlighting the key features of an upcoming product. Then Apple CEO gives an interview and provides further information on the product vision where he mentions something not stated in the product preview. He is then accused of lying or speculating about the product that he is overseeing development of -- by people who know 1% of what he knows about said product. What's wrong with this picture?

Apple and Cook are entirely in control of what they say. If they say contradictory things, it is not unreasonable for the people they are talking to, the customers, to question what is true. It is also not unreasonable for the people they are talking to, the customers, to expect them to be truthful. If Cook hadn't made such a clearly untrue statement, none of this discussion would have occurred.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

Seriously? Apple gives a ~1 hour preview highlighting the key features of an upcoming product. Then Apple CEO gives an interview and provides further information on the product vision where he mentions something not stated in the product preview. He is then accused of lying or speculating about the product that he is overseeing development of -- by people who know 1% of what he knows about said product. What's wrong with this picture?

So he gave a bad interview type presentation?

Fact is if you can’t get people who took the time to register on a site called MACrumors excited about your MAC product, that’s not a good sign

Might be the marketing, might be the product, might be both, but the ski googles are not off to a good start

 

[heretiq]

Apple and Cook are entirely in control of what they say. If they say contradictory things, it is not unreasonable for the people they are talking to, the customers, to question what is true. It is also not unreasonable for the people they are talking to, the customers, to expect them to be truthful. If Cook hadn't made such a clearly untrue statement, none of this discussion would have occurred.

How is Tim Cook's statement "clearly untrue" and what contradictory statements from Apple can you point to? Do you have a VisionPro? Are you on the VisionPro product team or in possession of the VisionPro product roadmap? In other words, what evidence do you have to support your contention that Tim Cook lied?

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

How is Tim Cook's statement "clearly untrue" and what contradictory statements from Apple can you point to? Do you have a VisionPro? Are you on the VisionPro product team or in possession of the VisionPro product roadmap? In other words, what evidence do you have to support your contention that Tim Cook lied?

You work for apple?

 

[heretiq]

So he gave a bad interview type presentation?

Fact is if you can’t get people who took the time to register on a site called MACrumors excited about your MAC product, that’s not a good sign

Might be the marketing, might be the product, might be both, but the ski googles are not off to a good start

No professional product manager would mistake one person who signs up on MR for one day plus a handful of fact-free and biased individuals as a focus group that's worth paying attention to.

 

[heretiq]

You work for apple?

I don't work for Apple, but I value honest, fact-based discussion and am willing to call out behavior that threatens to erode civility among the MR community.

 

[Night Spring]

What is behind this impulse to pounce on Tim Cook looking for something to disagree with? 🤔

To me, it feels like some people just never forgave Tim Cook for not being Steve Jobs.

I take Cook's statement to mean that Vision Pro is a general purpose computer, that can be programmed to do things other general purpose computers, like the Mac and iPhone, can do. Yes, strictly speaking, his statement is imprecise, because hardware wise, the iPhone and Mac has hardware components like cellular connection and input/output ports, that VP doesn't have, so VP can't do functions that require those hardware. We can disagree on what degree of precision is appropriate for a morning show segment intended for general audiences. But calling this lying is a stretch.

 

[heretiq]

​

Even if Tim Cook didn't tell the truth about what the Vision Pro can do, that doesn't mean that he was intentionally lying. To intentionally lie about a product, one has to know about the functionality of the product. Cook doesn't know about the functionality of most Apple products because he doesn't spend much time using them. That's precisely why during Apple events, he doesn't demo the products and talk about their functionality. Steve Jobs was the opposite in that Jobs demoed products and talked about their functionality. Cook is only concerned about money. He has an MBA degree, which is probably why he is so mediocre and doesn't care about products. He only cares about products in the sense of how much money they can make.

I was with you up to the swipe against Tim Cook. Tim has an Industrial Engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from Duke University. He is the architect of the Apple manufacturing system and supply chain -- without which Apple would not be the success that it is today. Yes, under his leadership Apple has been extremely profitable (which is the purpose of a business and the measure of a CEO) and became the first company to achieve three trillion dollar valuation. Tim Cook is hardly mediocre and has certainly earned my respect.

 

[Night Spring]

I was with you up to the swipe against Tim Cook. Tim has an Industrial Engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from Duke University. He is the architect of the Apple manufacturing system and supply chain -- without which Apple would not be the success that it is today. Yes, under his leadership Apple has been extremely profitable (which is the purpose of a business and the measure of a CEO) and became the first company to achieve three trillion dollar valuation. Tim Cook is hardly mediocre and has certainly earned my respect.

And he built the manufacturing and supply chain while Steve Jobs was still alive. Yes, Jobs had the vision, but Cook was largely responsible for making that vision come into reality. This aspect of the Jobs-Cook dynamic is very under-appreciated by many.

 

[heretiq]

To me, it feels like some people just never forgave Tim Cook for not being Steve Jobs.

I take Cook's statement to mean that Vision Pro is a general purpose computer, that can be programmed to do things other general purpose computers, like the Mac and iPhone, can do. Yes, strictly speaking, his statement is imprecise, because hardware wise, the iPhone and Mac has hardware components like cellular connection and input/output ports, that VP doesn't have, so VP can't do functions that require those hardware. We can disagree on what degree of precision is appropriate for a morning show segment intended for general audiences. But calling this lying is a stretch.

Well said @Night Spring. Tim Cook is a very deliberate professional so I'm inclined to believe he meant what he said. I am sure that Apple didn't demo everything they have working in the VisionPro sandbox. As has been reported here and elsewhere Apple is reported to be working on introducing their own radio silicon as early as 2024 -- so I suspect the iPhone, Mac, iPad and VisionPro will soon include AS-native cellular (as well as other capabilities).

 

[Piggie]

If we accept that what Tim said is not true today, and I feel we must do.
And he clearly messed up by saying it can do what an Mac and iPhone can do.

Let's be nice and suggest he's thinking of the future shall we?
If we do that, then we are suggesting that Tim is saying that in the near future it will be able to do all a Mac and iPhone can do today.

If so, then we should consider he's saying you won't need an iPhone or Mac as the Vision Pro can do it all.
With that in mind I wonder a few very basic things:

1: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things a Mac can currently do?
2: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things an iPhone can currently do?
3: What amount of time do you think we should wait before this is a reality? 1, 3, 5+ years from now?
4: Or the worst case, none of this is true and Apple will lock the Vision Pro down hard so it will never be allowed to be as free as a Mac computer is.

I would love to be wrong, and I pray I am wrong, but I fear Apple are going to be very controlling over what it feels are appropriate experiences on the device.
It will be interesting what freedom they will allow it to have, when linked to another Apple product also.

 

[goonie4life9]

How is Tim Cook's statement "clearly untrue" and what contradictory statements from Apple can you point to? Do you have a VisionPro? Are you on the VisionPro product team or in possession of the VisionPro product roadmap? In other words, what evidence do you have to support your contention that Tim Cook lied?

You're moving the goal posts when talking about the "roadmap". Let's take two features of iPhones - independent cellular calls and Satellite SOS. Apple advertised FaceTime, not independent cellular calls. Apple has not advertised Satellite SOS. Tim Cook claimed the Vision Pro could do anything an iPhone could do. Apple has provided no evidence that the Vision Pro can make independent cellular calls or has Satellite SOS. That's completely fine - Apple devices all have different features.

However, we can only hear/see what Apple says/does. When Tim Cook says something that doesn't match what Apple has otherwise said, it is not unreasonable to ask what is untrue. In this case, Apple has been very specific about what the Vision Pro can do whereas Tim Cook was speaking in PR generalities. The most parsimonious explanation is that Tim Cook said something untrue, not that the Vision Pro is full of all these secret features that Apple isn't advertising.

 

[heretiq]

If we accept that what Tim said is not true today, and I feel we must do.
And he clearly messed up by saying it can do what an Mac and iPhone can do.

Let's be nice and suggest he's thinking of the future shall we?
If we do that, then we are suggesting that Tim is saying that in the near future it will be able to do all a Mac and iPhone can do today.

If so, then we should consider he's saying you won't need an iPhone or Mac as the Vision Pro can do it all.
With that in mind I wonder a few very basic things:

1: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things a Mac can currently do?
2: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things an iPhone can currently do?
3: What amount of time do you think we should wait before this is a reality? 1, 3, 5+ years from now?
4: Or the worst case, none of this is true and Apple will lock the Vision Pro down hard so it will never be allowed to be as free as a Mac computer is.

I would love to be wrong, and I pray I am wrong, but I fear Apple are going to be very controlling over what it feels are appropriate experiences on the device.
It will be interesting what freedom they will allow it to have, when linked to another Apple product also.

iPhones, iPads, Macs and VisionPro are general purpose computers that are interchangeable for a variety of common use cases -- to suggests that any one of them can replace all of the others for their defined usage scenarios (stationary, mobile, lean-back, lean-forward, etc.) is absurd. To suggest that Apple is advocating that is something worse even.

 

[Night Spring]

If we accept that what Tim said is not true today, and I feel we must do.
And he clearly messed up by saying it can do what an Mac and iPhone can do.

Let's be nice and suggest he's thinking of the future shall we?
If we do that, then we are suggesting that Tim is saying that in the near future it will be able to do all a Mac and iPhone can do today.

If so, then we should consider he's saying you won't need an iPhone or Mac as the Vision Pro can do it all.
With that in mind I wonder a few very basic things:

1: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things a Mac can currently do?
2: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things an iPhone can currently do?
3: What amount of time do you think we should wait before this is a reality? 1, 3, 5+ years from now?
4: Or the worst case, none of this is true and Apple will lock the Vision Pro down hard so it will never be allowed to be as free as a Mac computer is.

I would love to be wrong, and I pray I am wrong, but I fear Apple are going to be very controlling over what it feels are appropriate experiences on the device.
It will be interesting what freedom they will allow it to have, when linked to another Apple product also.

I actually agree with those questions you raise. I respect Tim Cook, but I also admit he's not Steve Jobs. He's not quite as decisive as Steve Jobs could be at cutting down product overlap. Nowadays, I look at Apple's product lineup, and find myself paralyzed by too many choices, something Jobs cautioned against.

I think VP does have the potential to replace Mac and iPad, iPhone not so much unless they manage to downsize it to the size of regular glasses. But I fear Cook may lock it down so as not to compete with Mac/iPad. When Apple put M-chip in the iPad, I thought we'd see an acceleration in the merging of iOS and Mac OS, but no, any merging is happening at a snail's pace.

So I hope VP is given free space to grow, but I'm not 100% confident Cook will do that. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[Piggie]

iPhones, iPads, Macs and VisionPro are general purpose computers that are interchangeable for a variety of common use cases -- to suggests that any one of them can replace all of the others for their defined usage scenarios (stationary, mobile, lean-back, lean-forward, etc.) is absurd. To suggest that Apple is advocating that is something worse even.

I didn't say that, Tim Cook the CEO of Apple said this: "It can do anything your Mac or iPhone can do and more"
Please don't blame me for being absurd, I never made this claim.

I simply accepted that perhaps Tim was being a little premature in his claim that it would be able to basically replace those products, as it can/will be able to do all the things those devices do "and more"

Hence I was interested that, if we say it was a little optimistic for day one of the Headset, how long into the future his words would actually become a reality.

I makes sense. I mean, if you are wearing the Vision Pro which gives you screens floating in the air in front of you, why would you want to look at your iPhone through the front mounted cameras? I mean, the Headset should be doing all that. Probably what Tim see's, just when I'm wondering.

 

[koelsh]

If we accept that what Tim said is not true today, and I feel we must do.
And he clearly messed up by saying it can do what an Mac and iPhone can do.

Let's be nice and suggest he's thinking of the future shall we?
If we do that, then we are suggesting that Tim is saying that in the near future it will be able to do all a Mac and iPhone can do today.

If so, then we should consider he's saying you won't need an iPhone or Mac as the Vision Pro can do it all.
With that in mind I wonder a few very basic things:

1: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things a Mac can currently do?
2: Will Apple give the Vision Pro the ability to actually do all the things an iPhone can currently do?
3: What amount of time do you think we should wait before this is a reality? 1, 3, 5+ years from now?
4: Or the worst case, none of this is true and Apple will lock the Vision Pro down hard so it will never be allowed to be as free as a Mac computer is.

I would love to be wrong, and I pray I am wrong, but I fear Apple are going to be very controlling over what it feels are appropriate experiences on the device.
It will be interesting what freedom they will allow it to have, when linked to another Apple product also.

#3 Not holding my breath. Been waiting for the iPad to become more than a large iPhone with accessories but it's been pretty clear a couple years ago Apple just isn't going to go in that direction.
#4 Unless App Store policies change by leaps and bounds nothing iOS will ever be free as a Mac.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Oof, there are some uber literal folks in this thread. That must be exhausting.

I think Tim's comments were more speaking to the uncharted waters that is Vision Pro than some intentional, bait & switch gotcha! that should ruffle any feathers. Could spatial computing replace personal computing? Maybe so, maybe not. We'll have to see. It can be difficult (and possibly dangerous) to compare future concepts based on current (and past) parameters and understandings. Thankfully, thinking evolves. new connections are made that open potentials in ways previously impossible to consider. Taking what we currently understand to define "computers" (a term that has evolved over the years to now include things worn on one's wrist, amongst other things) and placing them on Vision Pro, while one approach, may prove inadequate in time. Time will tell. But to call Tim a liar because Vision Pro doesn't have PCI card slots is bonkers.

While I'll likely not be in a position to jump in on v1, I am definitely interested in the concept, platform, long-term vision. And glad to see Apple making such a bold play. I honestly can't think of anything they've done that has been as, or more, bold. For all the jokes around courage, this appears one of their most courageous endeavors. Interested to see where this leads. Should be fun.

 

[Night Spring]

I didn't say that, Tim Cook the CEO of Apple said this: "It can do anything your Mac or iPhone can do and more"
Please don't blame me for being absurd, I never made this claim.

I simply accepted that perhaps Tim was being a little premature in his claim that it would be able to basically replace those products, as it can/will be able to do all the things those devices do "and more"

For the sake of precision, I note that Cook didn't say VP could replace Mac and iPhone. That's your extrapolation from "it can do anything iPhone/Mac can do."

Could VP replace Mac/iPhone in the future? That depends on many factors, including how comfortable it is to wear for lengthy periods of time, how good is the UI, what kinds of apps would be written for it, etc.

I know that now, when I'm walking in the park, I wonder how much of my experience the VP camera would be able to capture. If I film the park wearing VP -- or maybe Apple might find a way to add 3D cameras to the iPhone? -- how much of my experience in the park would I be able to share with family and friends? Well, they'd also need to buy VP, LOL.

 

[NT1440]

For the sake of precision, I note that Cook didn't say VP could replace Mac and iPhone. That's your extrapolation from "it can do anything iPhone/Mac can do."
.

That’s the crux of this entire thread. A pedantic *interpretation* of a 2 second statement in an interview.

No one claimed that it will, or even SHOULD replace your phone. Apple has always been about using the right tool for a given task, which as a hardware company is also smart business.

 

[koelsh]

Oof, there are some uber literal folks in this thread. That must be exhausting.

I think Tim's comments were more speaking to the uncharted waters that is Vision Pro than some intentional, bait & switch gotcha! that should ruffle any feathers. Could spatial computing replace personal computing? Maybe so, maybe not. We'll have to see. It can be difficult (and possibly dangerous) to compare future concepts based on current (and past) parameters and understandings. Thankfully, thinking evolves. new connections are made that open potentials in ways previously impossible to consider. Taking what we currently understand to define "computers" (a term that has evolved over the years to now include things worn on one's wrist, amongst other things) and placing them on Vision Pro, while one approach, may prove inadequate in time. Time will tell. But to call Tim a liar because Vision Pro doesn't have PCI card slots is bonkers.

While I'll likely not be in a position to jump in on v1, I am definitely interested in the concept, platform, long-term vision. And glad to see Apple making such a bold play. I honestly can't think of anything they've done that has been as, or more, bold. For all the jokes around courage, this appears one of their most courageous endeavors. Interested to see where this leads. Should be fun.

It can be exhausting. What is more exhausting however is being repeatedly told for more than a decade that iPad is such a wonderful platform and is going to be my next computer only to find the software we need to work isn't allowed on the platform. I expect the Vision Pro to be the same.