Journalists Detail Seeing Their Own Spatial Videos on Apple Vision Pro

[CarAnalogy]

The Apple Watch was absolutely revolutionary.
Sure, it took a few years to get there, but I don’t think there’s any denying that by the series 4 the thing had become apples second most impactful product, only beneath the iPhone.
It wasn’t the first smart watch, but it certainly was the first to do everything well.
Same goes for AirPods, while them in isolation as wireless headphones weren’t necessarily that revolutionary, they were the first truly wireless headphones that “felt” like something people wanted to use and not a cool gadget for nerds who didn’t mind dealing with pairing menus and pin codes and terrible device switching

The Watch and AirPods are both great, but I don’t think they approach the category of the iPhone or the Mac or even the iPad in terms of the world being dramatically different after their introduction. Those products completely changed the world.

 

[citysnaps]

Some people will need to just experience it to understand. Others have the ability to 'sense it' in their imagination.

Well said. So many people are quick on the draw proclaiming it's a flop, understanding little about AR and the market potential Apple is pursuing.

That reminds me of when Apple introduced iPod, iPhone, iPad, AriPods, and Watch.

I guess proclamations such as that are easy, requiring little curiosity or time researching. And there's always the perception that snap judgements increase forum cred.

 

[Neodym]

Immersion from strapping a giant thing to my face is still annoying and not anywhere near the value of immersion by doing something in reality.

You are aware that the „giant thing“ is just gen 1 to collect experience and kickstart further development?! Look up how clunky 1st gen mobile phones have been some decades ago, with a poor network and lousy battery time.

And then compare that to where we are today …

Big difference, though: tech development speed has vastly increased, so a more usable (as in „smaller and more comfortable“) and affordable version of the AVP won’t take nearly as long as it took to come from the Motorola Dynatac to the modern smartphones we are all used to.

 

[citysnaps]

You are aware that the „giant thing“ is just gen 1 to collect experience and kickstart further development?! Look up how clunky 1st gen mobile phones have been some decades ago, with a poor network and lousy battery time.

And then compare that to where we are today …

Big difference, though: tech development speed has vastly increased, so a more usable (as in „smaller and more comfortable“) and affordable version of the AVP won’t take nearly as long as it took to come from the Motorola Dynatac to the modern smartphones we are all used to.

Sadly, that's something people conveniently go out of their way to ignore.

 

[acslater017]

I normally don’t push betas onto my phone but I made an exception for iOS 17.2 to enable spatial videos before my recent holiday trip. As someone with elderly parents and a young child, the ability to record those memories in an immersive format will be quite precious to me this holiday season.

While it’s good that the video files are compatible with 2D screens, there is a noticeable dip in image quality. The resulting file is SDR, 30fps, and 1080p, so viewing it on a flat screen basically feels like it was filmed in the early 2010s. It also captures less light, so dark scenes will appear more grainy. But based on these hands-on impressions I’m hoping that it will pay off when it’s viewable in 3D!

 

[eicca]

You are aware that the „giant thing“ is just gen 1 to collect experience and kickstart further development?! Look up how clunky 1st gen mobile phones have been some decades ago, with a poor network and lousy battery time.

And then compare that to where we are today …

Big difference, though: tech development speed has vastly increased, so a more usable (as in „smaller and more comfortable“) and affordable version of the AVP won’t take nearly as long as it took to come from the Motorola Dynatac to the modern smartphones we are all used to.

That is true, if the Vision Pro were just as simple as a pair of glasses it wouldn’t be anywhere near as off-putting. Maybe in the future.

The fact remains that the OS is too hobbled to really make it worth grabbing over a tried and true laptop/desktop.

 

[contacos]

Have you ever taken a photo to capture a memory? Ever look back on those photos?

It was a joke 😉

 

[Surf Monkey]

You are aware that the „giant thing“ is just gen 1 to collect experience and kickstart further development?! Look up how clunky 1st gen mobile phones have been some decades ago, with a poor network and lousy battery time.

And then compare that to where we are today …

Big difference, though: tech development speed has vastly increased, so a more usable (as in „smaller and more comfortable“) and affordable version of the AVP won’t take nearly as long as it took to come from the Motorola Dynatac to the modern smartphones we are all used to.

You are aware that the notion that this system can be miniaturized significantly is wildly speculative at best and defiant of basic physics at the worst?

 

[dannyyankou]

I'll take some spatial videos with my 15 Pro Max in case I want to view them in the future. But I don't see myself getting a Vision Pro in the near future. Price needs to go way down and I'm waiting for a form factor closer to glasses.

 

[dannyyankou]

3500 dollars? I said that is the most expensive helmet in the world. And it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard. Which makes it not a very good email machine.

To be fair, the original iPhone didn't take off until they lowered the price, and then obviously when they upgraded to 3G and added the App Store.

 

[citysnaps]

You are aware that the notion that this system can be miniaturized significantly is wildly speculative at best and defiant of basic physics at the worst?

Nope. Not even close. Feel free to poke around on past SIGGRAPH conferences. You may learn something.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Nope. Not even close. Feel free to poke around on past SIGGRAPH conferences. You may learn something.

The condescension isn’t really appropriate.

There’s a lower limit on the size of things like batteries cameras and processors. You don’t have to admit that in order for it to be true, but it is true. Miniaturization is not an infinite thing. The Vision system will never fit inside glasses and it’s pretty unlikely that the current form factor will change much going forward without severe compromises.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Has anyone?

Large language models?

 

[citysnaps]

The condescension isn’t really appropriate.

There’s a lower limit on the size of things like batteries cameras and processors. You don’t have to admit that in order for it to be true, but it is true. Miniaturization is not an infinite thing. The Vision system will never fit inside glasses and it’s pretty unlikely that the current form factor will change much going forward without severe compromises.

That was not condescension. Rather suggesting an opportunity to see what's happening in the AR world and learning something new.

You are aware that the notion that this system can be miniaturized significantly is wildly speculative at best and defiant of basic physics at the worst?

Ok... Sounds like you have a physics background. So do I (5 semesters, including solid state physics), as part of my engineering curriculum. How will Apple's next generation AR device be defiant of basic physics?

Please elaborate in detail and educate me.

 

[chickenpiccata]

This does remind me though that Steve was still alive and in charge of the iPhone 4. That and the 4S were the last ones he had direct complete control over. Let’s hope Tim can do the same. Steve’s motivation was always to bring powerful technology to the people at a reasonable price.

Is that the same Steve Jobs who introduced the 8GB first iPhone at $599 and cut it to $399 three months after it went on sale? (And refunded the difference to early buyers.) He wasn’t always a perfect judge of the market. Who knows? Maybe Tim will have to cut the price of the AVP to $2500 after three months.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Is that the same Steve Jobs who introduced the 8GB first iPhone at $599 and cut it to $399 three months after it went on sale? (And refunded the difference to early buyers.) He wasn’t always a perfect judge of the market. Who knows? Maybe Tim will have to cut the price of the AVP to $2500 after three months.

Yeah that’s the guy. My point was that by the time the iPhone 4 came out it was more refined and in line with his original vision. He was proud of everything it could do for the price.

 

[Surf Monkey]

That was not condescension. Rather suggesting an opportunity to see what's happening in the AR world and learning something new.

Ok... Sounds like you have a physics background. So do I (5 semesters, including solid state physics), as part of my engineering curriculum. How will Apple's next generation AR device be defiant of basic physics?

Please elaborate in detail and educate me.

We’ve discussed this in detail already.

 

[citysnaps]

We’ve discussed this in detail already.

In detail? Where was that?

What you offered was your opinion that Apple's next AR device will be defiant of basic physics. Without backing up your opinion with anything relating to or explained by physics.

 

[TigerNike23]

There's pricing to the existing market devices, and then there's redefining the market. Apple has a history of successfully disrupting existing categories. They weren't the first, they just executed it better.

The "firsts" are always expensive when compared to the products they're about to replace. And for the most part, existing products shouldn't be compared 1-to-1 against their successors... especially on price.

The first DVD players must have appeared ridiculously priced compared to VHS. Same for the first LCD flat screens vs. CRT prices. Just give it enough time, laptops will cost more than the best VR headsets soon enough.

I agree with your statement, but would like to point out a factual error in the image provided. DVD didn’t come out until 1996-1997. I remember walking into a Sears and being astonished at a Pioneer dual LaserDisc/DVD player.

That Sony Trinitron WEGA though, those were AWESOME.

 

[Surf Monkey]

In detail? Where was that?

What you offered was your opinion that Apple's next AR device will be defiant of basic physics. Without backing up your opinion with anything relating to or explained by physics.

As you know, you’ve hounded me in several threads about this and we’ve discussed it several times already.

And no, the lower size limit for things like batteries and camera lenses are not a matter of opinion. They’re facts. Your attempted gotcha failed.

 

[citysnaps]

As you know, you’ve hounded me in several threads about this and we’ve discussed it several times already.

And no, the lower size limit for things like batteries and camera lenses are not a matter of opinion. They’re facts. Your attempted gotcha failed.

Nope. Nice try. No details about where AR is going, the development andrealizations of what's currently underway, by simply reading published research papers/presentations (have you actually read any?), and on and on. Just blanket statements based on personal opinion. And prolcaiming what CAN'T be done. They are the Edisons and Bells of today.

And that's fine...keep believing Apple's AVP will not evolve over time to something smaller and lighter than it is today.

Thank god and a huge hat-tip to people with engineering and scientific backgrounds, or just dreamers like Jobs and Wozniak, with fertile imaginations who keep pushing forward undeterred by naysayers. And instead are able to dream, and are motivated by wondering what COULD be done.

Without them we wouldn't have telephones that would fit in your pocket (with tiny cameras and lenses), computers with large displays that didn't need to be plugged into the wall and just weigh a few a few pounds, and on and on and on.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Nope. Nice try. No details about where AR is going, the development andrealizations of what's currently underway, by simply reading published research papers/presentations (have you actually read any?), and on and on. Just blanket statements based on personal opinion. And prolcaiming what CAN'T be done. They are the Edisons and Bells of today.

And that's fine...keep believing Apple's AVP will not evolve over time to something smaller and lighter than it is today.

Thank god and a huge hat-tip to people with engineering and scientific backgrounds, or just dreamers like Jobs and Wozniak, with fertile imaginations who keep pushing forward undeterred by naysayers. And instead are able to dream, and are motivated by wondering what COULD be done.

Without them we wouldn't have telephones that would fit in your pocket (with tiny cameras and lenses), computers with large displays that didn't need to be plugged into the wall and just weigh a few a few pounds, and on and on and on.

Sure. And one day your iPhone will be the size of your fingernail and have a battery that lasts for a week.

Dreams are fun, but reality still exists.

 

[citysnaps]

Sure. And one day your iPhone will be the size of your fingernail and have a battery that lasts for a week.

Dreams are fun, but reality still exists.

Well... if that's your dream, that's cool.

I'll stick to what's possible, being aware of where research is going in that field reading published papers, and Apple's deep well of proven innovation.

And knowing AVP is primarily a first gen product (mostly for the benefit of developers getting a device in their hands to write apps), and closely following battery, camera, and cpu/gpu tech all from an engineering perspective.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Well... if that's your dream, that's cool.

I'll stick to what's possible, being aware of where research is going in that field reading published papers, and Apple's deep well of proven innovation.

And knowing AVP is primarily a first gen product (mostly for the benefit of developers getting a device in their hands to write apps), and closely following battery, camera, and cpu/gpu tech all from an engineering perspective.

Prove it.

 

[citysnaps]

Prove it.

The proof will be apparent with the next and future AR devices Apple introduces.

I'm looking forward to coming back to this discussion in the coming years.