What to Expect From Apple in 2023: AR/VR Headset, iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro and More

[fluffy]

You seriously think people are going to strap a VR headset to their faces and work out? I don't see that happening, certainly not until the unit itself is feather light, not to mention waterproof. Sweat will no doubt be bad for the unit.

I already do. A lot of folks I know already do. Anything that makes it better and lighter would be welcome but I get most of my exercise in VR rhythm games like Beat Saber and Ragnaröck.

 

[robbietop]

Lots of things! Keep in mind most of these apply to AR too:

• Omni-Display — We already know from component rumors that the image quality will be better than most displays and will support passthrough for AR. So this device could subplant all other displays you have, even your phone/watch! I bet Apple is planning to make it easy to share this display with others, and/or cast to traditional displays. Yes the battery isn't infinite, none are and we get by.
• Environment Filters — Most video calling platforms let you blur your background, or replace it. You could do that in 3D! Don't tell me you don't want to work on the edge of a cliff to get that adrenaline pumping, complete with suspense music! For some people, visual distraction is a big problem, so this'll be great for them.
• Visual Mood Control — Not really that different from wearing headphones/music to 'get in the zone'. Whole new class of mood control; not necessarily distracting, I trust artists will find that balance.
• Visual Therapy — Blue light therapy to help wake up and night shift mode to help wind down; perfect for those long dark winters. Start the day right with a quick walk on the moon or a gladiator match; I'm not judging!
• Always Sunny — Too bright? Not bright enough? Won't matter; headset can relight your environment, perfect for driving in the dark which a heck of a lot of people do.
• Arts & Crafts — Yeah digital is not the same, but sometimes you're just trying to express an idea and you wish you could cobble it together out of thin air. Now you can! Viva MS Paint!

Bottom line is, we'll have complete control over our visual experience for the first time. It'll take a while for all of the creative use cases to be discovered. It'll be similar to how headphones gave us control over our audio experiences.

Just because it's not 'real' or 'live' doesn't invalidate it, most entertainment is not real/live/physical and we enjoy it just fine.

OMNI DISPLAY!!! OMGOSHHHH.....you mean I have to wear the device everywhere I go if I want it to SUPPLANT ALL OTHER DISPLAYS?

Environmental Filters: I don't even use the filters in Zoom, why should I spend $1500+ for a VR headset that will do that? I also don't FaceTime, so, even less need.

Visual Mood Control: I listen to music on a surround sound system in my den or patio or on my HomePod mini Stereo pair in my garage. I have friends around to hang out with and chat, so I don't need to be rude and put on a headset by myself.

Visual Therapy: I can turn my TV brightness down with a remote and play sounds of an ocean on YouTube. Save $1500+.

Always Sunny: You're assuming that state governments will allow you to wear this when driving, despite Google Glass already being banned in vehicles by multiple states when it launched.

Arts and Crafts: I have an Apple Pencil and an iPad. How do I draw with my eyes?

Seriously, you're INVENTING uses for it rather than a use case already existing.

iPhone combined a portable music player, a cell phone, calendar, notepad, rolodex, and web browser. There were already analogue versions of all of its use cases. Later, we added Taxi Hailing, Delivery Coordination, Shopping, various other PREEXISTING use cases.

Apple Watch....is a watch.....those have existed before Apple made one.

iPad is just a larger iPhone and does all of the basic things, adding better use cases for book, magazine, etc reading.

An Apple Car is a sophisticated car, you can already buy a BMW or a Volkswagen or a Tesla. Apple didn't invent the car.

HomePod is a speaker, those were invented over a century ago.

Why would I want a tiny screen right in my face when I could have a large one everyone can enjoy? I am not an introvert, I have people over all the time.

Also, you brought up sleep aid....I can't sleep with a small lightweight facemask, how am I gonna handle a helmet?

Give me something it can do better than the iPhone other than an extension of an experience and I will not label it "Optional Accessory", because that's what it sounds like.

Apple Watch is also an optional accessory, you need the iPhone for it to work. But an Apple Watch does some things better than an iPhone (Notifications, Quick Glance, etc).

 

[robbietop]

Same way anything else entertains you: games, narratives, creative expression, learning a skill. You can say that you don’t need VR to do those things. But you also don’t need computers, TVs, radios, or books to do those things. But it allows you to do those things in new and unique ways.

I can do other things on a TV, a computer, I don't have to wear a radio, I've never had to strap a book to my face, and why do I need a unique way to read a book?

Maybe, I just want to read?

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

I can do other things on a TV, a computer, I don't have to wear a radio, I've never had to strap a book to my face, and why do I need a unique way to read a book?

Maybe, I just want to read?

There was a poll on Reddit Programming that asked devs if they prefer reading books on screens or physical paper books. They voted mostly for paper books. It gives them the freedom to have the book there on the side while they do the computer stuff separately. Not one task interfering with the task on the same screen.

We live in this age where you can play music, read a book and code all on one device but many people don’t like having so many things multi tasking on one device at the same time. They like having a separate music player like a HomePod, a computer just for work, a shelf with books, a console for games, a TV to chill out with.

I don’t even post on this forum from the computer in front of me now. I post with my phone and I work on my computer. I keep these separate so I can focus.

Put everything on one VR just feels claustrophobic, janky and obviously there will be discomfort and random bugs and sensor performance issues.

 

[robbietop]

There was a poll on Reddit Programming that asked devs if they prefer reading books on screens or physical paper books. They voted mostly for paper books. It gives them the freedom to have the book there on the side while they do the computer stuff separately. Not one task interfering with the task on the same screen.

We live in this age where you can play music, read a book and code all on one device but many people don’t like having so many things multi tasking on one device at the same time. They like having a separate music player like a HomePod, a computer just for work, a shelf with books, a console for games, a TV to chill out with.

I don’t even post on this forum from the computer in front of me now. I post with my phone and I work on my computer. I keep these separate so I can focus.

Put everything on one VR just feels claustrophobic, janky and obviously there will be discomfort and random bugs and sensor performance issues.

Agree on every single point here. It's mind boggling how many people steam roll straight through basic human psychology, like what you stated.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Agree on every single point here. It's mind boggling how many people steam roll straight through basic human psychology, like what you stated.

Enthusiasts like to imagine digital cyber utopia where everything is perfect and everything is possible and then they come crashing back to reality.

It’s not totally their fault. Tech CEOs give them these stupid ideas just to build hype and push up stock price. Zuckerberg knows people can’t live and work inside a helmet but he says these BS things anyway. Musk knows Mars Colonies is BS but the investors like to throw money at BS.

 

[Jensend]

I can do other things on a TV, a computer, I don't have to wear a radio, I've never had to strap a book to my face, and why do I need a unique way to read a book?

Maybe, I just want to read?

Sorry, I meant that VR allows "games, narratives, creative expression, learning a skill" to be done in new and unique ways, not that VR allows you to listen to radio or read a book in a new way.
Computers/games, TVs, radios, and books have each have their own unique ways to tell a story. VR provides a new way to tell stories. It provides new ways to interact with game worlds. It provides a new avenues for creative expression. (I've created and flown through 3D scenes created with others within VR. 3D modeling can be done on a flat screen, but is not as intuitive and can be slower for some things. Maybe that's not an interesting use case for you. OK, I'm fine with that)

I still read books, listen to audio stories, watch movies, play games on a monitor, etc. I don't need VR to enhance those things. People have different preferences. I'm not suggesting that any of those mediums should or will replace any of the others, or that any of those will be a preferable way to consume media or for creative expression.

 

[urbanman2004]

Highly doubt we'll be seeing the Mac Pro anytime soon and if we do, I'm willing to bet it will underwhelm. M1 was groundbreaking for what it could do as a RISC processor, but it's graphics performance won't be powerful enough to warrant it a Prosumer desktop worthy of multimedia professionals and enthusiasts.

 

[robbietop]

Sorry, I meant that VR allows "games, narratives, creative expression, learning a skill" to be done in new and unique ways, not that VR allows you to listen to radio or read a book in a new way.
Computers/games, TVs, radios, and books have each have their own unique ways to tell a story. VR provides a new way to tell stories. It provides new ways to interact with game worlds. It provides a new avenues for creative expression. (I've created and flown through 3D scenes created with others within VR. 3D modeling can be done on a flat screen, but is not as intuitive and can be slower for some things. Maybe that's not an interesting use case for you. OK, I'm fine with that)

I still read books, listen to audio stories, watch movies, play games on a monitor, etc. I don't need VR to enhance those things. People have different preferences. I'm not suggesting that any of those mediums should or will replace any of the others, or that any of those will be a preferable way to consume media or for creative expression.

I get that, but I don't see a need for me to buy a peripheral at that price with a severe handicap in the ergonomic department when my phone can do VR just fine, or I could just play a normal 3D video game. While the normal video game doesn't have the unique perspective of VR, it's not in any way a downgrade, and I can enjoy it without having to move my head or body and just relax on the couch, which is the point of entertainment.

 

[guyguy17]

It would nice to hear "One last thing.." this year after every event. A little surprise that nobody saw coming.

 

[Motorola68000]

So, for all the non Remote Diagnostic, Pilot Trainers why do we need one? How does it ENTERTAIN me? Because, I only get Industrial uses, which is for a job, not sitting at home.

So you forget that industrial flight simulators heralded a major change in games? Heralded new innovation incorporated into multiple applications for all.

 

[robbietop]

So you forget that industrial flight simulators heralded a major change in games? Heralded new innovation incorporated into multiple applications for all.

I don't need another game console