Vision Pro Hands-On: Reviewers Comment on Weight, Disney+ Experience, Virtual Keyboard and More

[fs454]

Keep in mind Apple hasn’t let anyone use an avp with a bt keyboard. Think of the UI with its eyes look, hands pinch or select. Now your hands are on a bt keyboard you can’t see unless you’re in AR mode. Vision Pro is going nuts trying to decide if you’re typing, trying to navigate the UI, etc.

Now I know you’re saying well Apple knows this and thoughtfully provided a seamless way of doing this. Welp who would know.

The only thing Apple has been willing to do is limited 20-30 demos that are nothing more than looking, pinching, watching some 3d videos or pics.

Apple absolutely isn't going to let it get confused and fail at deciding whether you're typing or pinching. Same way your palms don't cause the trackpad to go nuts on a MacBook while you're typing (on the 16" models your palms basically live on the trackpad while typing).

I would put money on the keyboard showing up in immersive environments as well, either as a small mixed reality cutout of your immediate desk area, or as a rendered 3D model if it detects an Apple keyboard. Meta's Horizon Workrooms puts a mixed reality cutout for the desk surface so you can see the keyboard, but otherwise keeps you in the virtual world. They also render certain keyboards (and whole laptops) in full 3D and show your hands on them as an alternate way of doing this.

This is Apple. They may be taking a really ridiculous curveball marketing strategy on the lead-up, but their software teams never skimp on UI polish.

 

[dotnet]

You better dig, because what he said is accurate. The closest analogue is the iPad launch. It was pretty roundly criticized here for being too heavy, too thick, too expensive, not enough battery, not enough screen… you name it. The same is not the case for Apple Watch, iPhone or ESPECIALLY iPod.

There was plenty of dumping on the iPhone when it came out – no 3G, no physical buttons, 2MP camera…

 

[subjonas]

Keep in mind Apple hasn’t let anyone use an avp with a bt keyboard. Think of the UI with its eyes look, hands pinch or select. Now your hands are on a bt keyboard you can’t see unless you’re in AR mode. Vision Pro is going nuts trying to decide if you’re typing, trying to navigate the UI, etc.

Now I know you’re saying well Apple knows this and thoughtfully provided a seamless way of doing this. Welp who would know.

The only thing Apple has been willing to do is limited 20-30 demos that are nothing more than looking, pinching, watching some 3d videos or pics.

Edit-
Actually I just saw the video that I thought I remembered of someone using the VP with a Magic Keyboard and trackpad, so I did remember correctly (see screenshot below). So we can safely assume it works.

Original post-
I had thought I saw a bluetooth keyboard in one of the VP videos but you’re right it looks like no one has actually used one yet. But it’s really hard to imagine the VP not supporting a physical keyboard, simply because I imagine that would be quite a deal breaker for many people. But also I would think the VP should be able to differentiate between hands gesturing and hands typing because I would think it should be able to recognize a keyboard and recognize when your hands are on it.
That’s an interesting point about seeing the keyboard in full immersion mode, not sure how Apple would handle that. This and many things need to be determined, and will be soon.

One thing that puzzles me is why Apple apparently didn’t implement swipe typing on the virtual keyboard. Granted, I just tried acting out the VP typing method—looking at each letter on my keyboard and pinching my finger—and it worked much faster than I imagined in my head (as long as the VP can keep up with my eyes), but I can still swipe significantly faster. Albeit I’m just a layman, but it seems like there aren’t any big special challenges to implementing it on the VP. For each word, pinch the key of the first letter of the word, swipe the rest of the word, unpinch. But your hand would probably be going inside the virtual keyboard as you swipe, which may look weird, so maybe that’s why. Maybe it would require a different-looking virtual keyboard.

 

[Chambers McMac]

Apple this week invited members of the media to New York City for another round of testing the Vision Pro ahead of its launch, and sites that were able to try out the device are now sharing their impressions.

As a recap, Apple first allowed media to use the Vision Pro following its debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference, but it was still under development at the time and features were limited. Now the headset is nearing release, so testers are able to experience the Vision Pro as consumers will.

Engadget's Cherlynn Low wore the headset for just 20 minutes with the standard strap and "was in pain" due to the weight of the device. Apple swapped her over to the Dual Loop Band, which "felt much better for weight distribution."

Dana Wollman from Engadget had to experiment with Light Seals in order to get the right fit against the face, and when it was too loose, the headset's lettering did not look sharp. Both testers preferred the Dual Loop version of the band, which was more comfortable, and they said there were a lot of options for fit. Joanna Stern from The Wall Street Journal said that the Dual Loop, which she was able to try for the first time, was much more comfortable than the single band option.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747331779285991649

The Verge's Victoria Song didn't comment in detail on the weight, but said that you can feel it sitting on your head "wrecking your hairdo," and that those with long hair can feel it bunch up at the back.

Immersive video was part of the demonstration, which Low said showed impressive levels of texture. Wollman felt immersed in the scene, but "also excluded" because it's lifelike, but no one in the immersive videos "sees you or interacts with you." Disney+ for Vision Pro was described as "like playing a video game" because you can select a Disney-esque background for watching content. Wollman described it as a "Disney-themed drive-in." From Low:

Song described the experience of watching spatial videos shot on the iPhone, and she felt "some familiar VR motion queasiness" from the camera shake.

While the floating keyboard has been described by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman as a "complete write-off," Low said that it worked "fairly well," while Wollman said that it was "one of the more frustrating" parts of the demo because none of the typing options worked for extended use. Song said it worked, but it was clunky. "You look at a letter and pinch your fingers to select it," she described.

Reviewers were also able to test out the meditation feature and the Encounter Dinosaurs app, and their full thoughts on the device can be read over at Engadget and The Verge. Additional accounts of in-person experiences will be coming out later this week, and Apple is giving some of the media that visit New York this week headsets to test out for full reviews. More in-depth reviews will be available ahead of when the Vision Pro launches on February 2.

Article Link: Vision Pro Hands-On: Reviewers Comment on Weight, Disney+ Experience, Virtual Keyboard and More

Apple had to join the market now since AR/VR is the future of personal computing, or at least the next logical step. The future is now, to borrow a line from the brilliant movie The Hudsucker Proxy.

 

[Donoban]

Agree the original Apple Watch really wasn't ready for public release, Apple almost killed the product by putting it out there too soon. However I still think her review was moronic. Maybe however that's what people go to the WSJ for.

Bro - I had a series 0 release. The box and packaging was next level. Oh the days of when the strap came attached to the watch.

Anyway, it was ready for market. I had that bad boy for 6 years. Loved it. Not sure what you’re talking about.

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

Bro - I had a series 0 release. The box and packaging was next level. Oh the days of when the strap came attached to the watch.

Anyway, it was ready for market. I had that bad boy for 6 years. Loved it. Not sure what you’re talking about.

I really wanted the first watch but without GPS built in I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Waited for Apple Watch 2. Also a lot of people I spoke to with the original watch seemed a bit underwhelmed, battery life was a problem. Have an Ultra now and it's a great product.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I really wanted the first watch but without GPS built in I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Waited for Apple Watch 2. Also a lot of people I spoke to with the original watch seemed a bit underwhelmed, battery life was a problem. Have an Ultra now and it's a great product.

It still holds no interest for me (I know, anecdote.) I wear a mechanical watch. Many of them in my collection, actually. The Apple Watch is in competition with my collection and just wouldn’t get the wrist time it needs to collect relevant data.

Apple should make a fitness ring. I’d wear that.

 

[AlanMarron]

Bro - I had a series 0 release. The box and packaging was next level. Oh the days of when the strap came attached to the watch.

Anyway, it was ready for market. I had that bad boy for 6 years. Loved it. Not sure what you’re talking about.

I preordered one (a true early adopter!) and although series 0 was highly dependent on the iPhone, once I slapped it on my wrist I never wore my Rolex again. I am a Watch fanboi.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I preordered one (a true early adopter!) and although series 0 was highly dependent on the iPhone, once I slapped it on my wrist I never wore my Rolex again. I am a Watch fanboi.

A Rolex is jewelry just like every other watch. To my eye the Apple Watch is not attractive or valuable as an accessory, which is what a watch is supposed to be in a man’s wardrobe. I mean, good for you, but it’s a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.

 

[dotnet]

A Rolex is jewelry just like every other watch.

Rolexes may be but not every other watch. Most people I know wear watches for their utility, i.e. to tell time and date, as stopwatch, etc.

 

[AlanMarron]

A Rolex is jewelry just like every other watch. To my eye the Apple Watch is not attractive or valuable as an accessory, which is what a watch is supposed to be in a man’s wardrobe. I mean, good for you, but it’s a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.

Since I retired my “wardrobe” is shorts and a tee shirt. Sometimes I wear shoes. I have given my Rolex to my son but he’s ultra cool—no jewelry.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Rolexes may be but not every other watch. Most people I know wear watches for their utility, i.e. to tell time and date, as stopwatch, etc.

Yes, most other watches. They are and they have been for many decades. There’s a clock on your phone. There’s a clock on your microwave. On your wall. On the bank. On the disk player. On the computer screen…

Wrist watches have very little practical use anymore except as accessories. They’re jewelry. Fashion items.

 

[AlanMarron]

Delete

 

[subjonas]

Resolution aside there’s nothing about this that is much better than the quest. And then consider quest has controllers, games, apps, a much better price, etc.

The real question is if a quest doesn’t interest you then why would this?

But I think resolution is pretty key for AR, because 1) people likely judge fidelity for real world passthrough more harshly than VR fidelity because they know what the real world is supposed to look like, and 2) many AR-type applications tend to not be feasible without high fidelity—eg. office work—as opposed to VR games.
But aside from resolution, I think the eye and hand tracking and UI are probably quite a bit better on the VP, which could turn out to be important. Not needing controllers, being able to rest your arms, and having a more intuitive and responsive UI—could be the difference. They may seem like small things, sort of like how trackpads on a MacBook vs a cheaper PC laptop seem like they should make a trivial difference, but they end up having a big impact on UX.

 

[subjonas]

All the reviews agree on one thing: it’s heavy. How long will people use it if it’s heavy and sweaty?

Just want to clarify-
not all reviewers online nor all those mentioned in this article (Stearn, Song, Low, Wollman) agree it’s heavy, at least not that it’s the end of the story. Two of the four reviewers mentioned in this article said it was only heavy until they were properly fitted, after which they made no mention of discomfort.
Also of the 3 full reviews mentioned in this article (not including the tweet that only talked about the bands) also agreed on other things, such as the ease and joy of use. Also none of them said it was sweaty.

 

[subjonas]

With Apple we never hear the cons, it always about this can replace your devices, or so they claim. The more Apple products you own, the more challenged you would be to go out and get one for its feature set IMHO. The reviewers are all of that category, they use a lot of Apple and other gear.

So as the Verge reviewer said, "I’m just still trying to see where it fits in the real world." If that decision of value against a new product platform is difficult, imagine someone far less knowledgeable of a perspective considering buying a $3500 device for business or entertainment instead of other solutions out there? I look forward to many other reviews that will be helpful to that question.

I feel like for the most part, people for whom a product will be useful will know it after just a little exposure to that product, even just marketing. The devil is in the details so to fully know requires more research and possibly some experimentation, but most should have a good rough idea pretty quickly. If one doesn’t, I think it’s likely the product isn’t for them. At least, I’ve found this to be mostly true. I suppose for a product category like the VP being so foreign to most people, it might be a tad less true. But with most of its qualities being pretty analogous to things that exist in the world, nothing should be too alien.

 

[subjonas]

When I read I pick up a book and start… reading. Immersed but still able to be aware of my husband's intermittent conversation with me, stretch my eyes by looking out the window, that little pause to think over something you've just read, stroke the cat, hear the doorbell and answer it — pick up the book again — put down the book, go have a pee, answer my phone — listen to music…

According to all the product info and reviews, you can do all of this while using the VP too haha.

 

[Donoban]

Yes, most other watches. They are and they have been for many decades. There’s a clock on your phone. There’s a clock on your microwave. On your wall. On the bank. On the disk player. On the computer screen…

Wrist watches have very little practical use anymore except as accessories. They’re jewelry. Fashion items.

Not going to change your mind - but when it comes to paying for things, doing a workout, quickly checking notifications, setting a timer, asking Siri a question, playing music, etc… it can’t be beat.

I used to love traditional watches but I’ve converted to the Apple Watch Life. I started with series 0 on my 40th birthday, purchased a series 6 because Apple was able to reduce the watch width to match the original series 0... still rocking the series 6 to this day.

I feel naked if I leave home without having my watch on. No longer just a fashion accessory for me.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Not going to change your mind - but when it comes to paying for things, doing a workout, quickly checking notifications, setting a timer, asking Siri a question, playing music, etc… it can’t be beat.

I used to love traditional watches but I’ve converted to the Apple Watch Life. I started with series 0 on my 40th birthday, purchased a series 6 because Apple was able to reduce the watch width to match the original series 0... still rocking the series 6 to this day.

I feel naked if I leave home without having my watch on. No longer just a fashion accessory for me.

Zero interest.

 

[NT1440]

Zero interest.

I literally never wore a watch in life until I got an Apple Watch.

In my line of work it’s nice to be able to see what messages I can ignore, and which things need direct action without always looking at my phone.

Otherwise, same, I have no interest at all in watches.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I literally never wore a watch in life until I got an Apple Watch.

In my line of work it’s nice to be able to see what messages I can ignore, and which things need direct action without always looking at my phone.

Otherwise, same, I have no interest at all in watches.

I have plenty of interest in watches, just not tech toy watches.

 

[NT1440]

I have plenty of interest in watches, just not tech toy watches.

Whereas I consider watches fashion accessories, which I have absolutely no interest in.

Different strokes…

 

[Donoban]

I have plenty of interest in watches, just not tech toy watches.

Whats your current watch?

 

[Surf Monkey]

Whats your current watch?

I have about 40 in my collection but the one I’m wearing right now is an Omega Planet Ocean.

 

[turbineseaplane]

To my eye the Apple Watch is not attractive or valuable as an accessory

100% agree
It really doesn't help that they've not made any true physical variations on the case shape either.

I don't want to look like part of the Borg out at dinner with my "wrist based hive connection" on my wrist.

To me the AW has zero appeal as a fashion accessory