What to Expect From WWDC 2023: AR/VR Headset, 15-Inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, iOS 17, xrOS, macOS 14 and More

[zach-coleman]

Optimism springs eternal I guess.

This thread reads hilariously close to the lead up and direct aftermath of the original iPhone keynote. I am preparing for the possibility of being wrong but I currently find it extremely unlikely this is a dud.

A large part of the problem with current AR/VR is a lack of vision and ecosystem integration (one of the reasons I never use my quest is that I can’t check texts without taking the damn thing off) and this is usually something apple succeeds at. In the long run, at least. I also think they are one of the only companies with any shot at making this “cool.” I’m honestly still unconvinced that it’s cool at the moment.

 

[JamesHolden]

Except that it does because if it fails out of the gate the product is essentially tainted going forward. Look at HomePod. It failed out of the gate and Apple has been playing catch-up with it ever since.

And HomePod is just a speaker/accessory, not a whole new platform with years and billions in R&D. As you said in another post, Apple TV failed as a platform but is perfectly successful as a commodity/accessory product. Apple TV is also $200. No one is going to pay $3K for an accessory. The headset needs to succeed as a platform.

 

[Surf Monkey]

This thread reads hilariously close to the lead up and direct aftermath of the original iPhone keynote. I am preparing for the possibility of being wrong but I currently find it extremely unlikely this is a dud.

Except that it isn’t because the market for smart phones was already hot. People had been asking for an iPod with a phone for a long time. This isn’t that situation. In this case Apple appears to be attempting to enter a market that has never taken off with the mainstream and that most of the big players are in the process of exiting right now.

A large part of the problem with current AR/VR is a lack of vision and ecosystem integration (one of the reasons I never use my quest is that I can’t check texts without taking the damn thing off) and this is usually something apple succeeds at. In the long run, at least. I also think they are one of the only companies with any shot at making this “cool.” I’m honestly still unconvinced that it’s cool at the moment.

No one will ever succeed at making goggles cool. In order to make this product compelling Apple will have to pull off a miracle that overcomes people’s inherent resistance to wearing glasses and goggles.

 

[knowsuchpeace]

And HomePod is just a speaker/accessory, not a whole new platform with years and billions in R&D. As you said in another post, Apple TV failed as a platform but is perfectly successful as a commodity/accessory product. Apple TV is also $200. No one is going to pay $3K for an accessory. The headset needs to succeed as a platform.

Why do you think the headset would not be able to succeed as a commodity?

 

[Surf Monkey]

Why do you think the headset would not be able to succeed as a commodity?

Because commodities need to have mass appeal.

 

[JamesHolden]

A large part of the problem with current AR/VR is a lack of vision and ecosystem integration (one of the reasons I never use my quest is that I can’t check texts without taking the damn thing off) and this is usually something apple succeeds at. In the long run, at least. I also think they are one of the only companies with any shot at making this “cool.” I’m honestly still unconvinced that it’s cool at the moment.

I agree with you here. I think Apple will definitely do it better than everyone else, but will that be enough? Ultimately I don't see any benefit to checking my texts with a headset versus a phone. I'd need to be wearing the headset anyway and why am I wearing it? What's the killer app for this kind of product? What gets people wearing a headset in the first place?

 

[JamesHolden]

Why do you think the headset would not be able to succeed as a commodity?

I think it would be IF it's commodity priced. I've said that many times in other posts.

 

[zach-coleman]

Except that it isn’t because the market for smart phones was already hot. People had been asking for an iPod with a phone for a long time. This isn’t that situation. In this case Apple appears to be attempting to enter a market that has never taken off with the mainstream and that most of the big players are in the process of exiting right now.

I’m willing to take the L here but from my hazy memory really the only people who had pre-iPhone smartphones were business users. At least in my experience. I only knew people with flip phones, and most of them had no interest in anything more advanced until the iPhone came out.

No one will ever succeed at making goggles cool. In order to make this product compelling Apple will have to pull off a miracle that overcomes people’s inherent resistance to wearing glasses and goggles.

I don’t think many predicted them making ramming your fingers into a glass surface all day cool either. There are pages upon pages of people saying the iPhone was doomed because it didn’t have a physical keyboard or it ran a bloated OS or it was too expensive or any number of other criticisms that now seem trivial.

I do think there is an inherent misunderstanding of this device, though. I do NOT think it is intended to be used outside of the home. I will be shocked if they intend for you to walk down the street wearing this thing. A device made for that purpose will surely come later and will probably be AR only. Or, maybe it will have the ability to clip on a removable VR attachment for home use. Unsure. But why care if you look a little silly sitting in your own home?

 

[knowsuchpeace]

Because commodities need to have mass appeal.

An ipad-like device with a virtually unlimited screen size that is also smaller than any ipad is a compelling product. I don't know if that's what Apple's strategy is or if others would agree with that being appealing, but that's a product I would love to see.

I think it would be IF it's commodity priced. I've said that many times in other posts.

I do agree that they can't leave this sort of device at $2,999 forever, but that doesn't appear to be the plan.

I also agree that I don't see a ton of interesting stuff specifically in the AR space. If Apple is depending on AR to sell this product, I do legitimately worry about its future. I think walking around with AR markers or whatever makes for a cool demo, but it doesn't seem like a compelling main usecase for this sort of device. iPads can also be used while walking around, but I've never used one in that way.

 

[JamesHolden]

I’m willing to take the L here but from my hazy memory really the only people who had pre-iPhone smartphones were business users. At least in my experience. I only knew people with flip phones, and most of them had no interest in anything more advanced until the iPhone came out.

I think that might have a lot to do with where one lives. I lived in LA before the iPhone launched and I knew a lot of people with so-called smart phones, Blackberries, etc. I also don't think the phone and headset comparison holds water. The iPhone built upon things people already used and knew and wanted. It just made the experience a lot better. How does the headset do this? What experience is it making better?

I don’t think many predicted them making ramming your fingers into a glass surface all day cool either. There are pages upon pages of people saying the iPhone was doomed because it didn’t have a physical keyboard or it ran a bloated OS or it was too expensive or any number of other criticisms that now seem trivial.

True, and I certainly allow for the possibility that history will repeat itself. That said, it seems very unlikely. Touch feels natural. Jobs recognized this. There's something about touch that builds connection. Yes, a lot of forum malcontents decried the iPhone, but the general consensus beyond the forum walls was very positive. Almost no one (pundits, analysts, etc) seems optimistic about the headset.

I do think there is an inherent misunderstanding of this device, though. I do NOT think it is intended to be used outside of the home.

I agree 100%. Which is why I'm even more skeptical. What use cases make me want to wear goggles around the house? All I can think of is gaming and maybe a TV replacement for people who live alone.

I will be shocked if they intend for you to walk down the street wearing this thing.

Likewise! I also just don't see how wearing goggles with an external battery pack will ever be "cool." Sounds like Google Glass all over again.

A device made for that purpose will surely come later and will probably be AR only. Or, maybe it will have the ability to clip on a removable VR attachment for home use. Unsure.

Agreed. If/when we get AR glasses and they're priced like an Apple Watch, I think they'll sell well.

 

[JamesHolden]

I do agree that they can't leave this sort of device at $2,999 forever, but that doesn't appear to be the plan.

Says who? The internet?

When has Apple ever released a product and then dramatically dropped the price? Never. If the rumors are true about the headset hardware, costs won't be coming down for a long time. It sounds pretty cutting edge (expensive!). And when costs do come down, when has Apple ever passed those savings on to the customer?

I also agree that I don't see a ton of interesting stuff specifically in the AR space. If Apple is depending on AR to sell this product, I do legitimately worry about its future. I think walking around with AR markers or whatever makes for a cool demo, but it doesn't seem like a compelling main usecase for this sort of device. iPads can also be used while walking around, but I've never used one in that way.

Bingo. It's a gimmick. AR looks good in sci-fi films. A few special use cases aside, there's no reason an average person would wear goggles all day for AR.

 

[ouruniverse06131986]

Just interested in iOS. Cause my Mac doesn’t go higher macOS 🤣🤣🤣 but I’m loving it.

 

[Serqetry]

An ipad-like device with a virtually unlimited screen size that is also smaller than any ipad is a compelling product. I don't know if that's what Apple's strategy is or if others would agree with that being appealing, but that's a product I would love to see.

I still do not understand why people think 4K-ish screens that are so close to your eyes that they fill your entire field of view is going to be able to magically create virtual screens that compare to a normal screen in the real world. If you could stick your face that close to a 4K TV and be able to focus on it, the pixels would be quite large.

 

[zach-coleman]

I still do not understand why people think 4K-ish screens that are so close to your eyes that they fill your entire field of view is going to be able to magically create virtual screens that compare to a normal screen in the real world. If you could stick your face that close to a 4K TV and be able to focus on it, the pixels would be quite large.

Some rumors have put the resolution as high as 8k. I think this will be one of the most important specs for them to get right, though. If it has a crummy resolution DOA. Apple is really obsessed with pixel density (they’re still one of the only people selling 27@5k monitors 7 years after they hit shelves…) I think they will be as high res as possible with current technology.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I’m willing to take the L here but from my hazy memory really the only people who had pre-iPhone smartphones were business users. At least in my experience. I only knew people with flip phones, and most of them had no interest in anything more advanced until the iPhone came out.


I don’t think many predicted them making ramming your fingers into a glass surface all day cool either. There are pages upon pages of people saying the iPhone was doomed because it didn’t have a physical keyboard or it ran a bloated OS or it was too expensive or any number of other criticisms that now seem trivial.

I do think there is an inherent misunderstanding of this device, though. I do NOT think it is intended to be used outside of the home. I will be shocked if they intend for you to walk down the street wearing this thing. A device made for that purpose will surely come later and will probably be AR only. Or, maybe it will have the ability to clip on a removable VR attachment for home use. Unsure. But why care if you look a little silly sitting in your own home?

Swiping a screen and wearing goggles are worlds apart. Adoption of iPhone faced very little friction.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Some rumors have put the resolution as high as 8k. I think this will be one of the most important specs for them to get right, though. If it has a crummy resolution DOA. Apple is really obsessed with pixel density (they’re still one of the only people selling 27@5k monitors 7 years after they hit shelves…) I think they will be as high res as possible with current technology.

Right. But again, any virtual screen is going to be an inherently degraded experience from a real screen. Take a simple graphic task like color correction. How are you going to accurately color calibrate a virtual screen that’s a few millimeters from your eye?

And that raises the issue of eye strain generally. Staring at an iPhone screen all day is far from an optimal situation. Having that screen encompass your entire field of view is likely to cause the same strain only without any ability to reset by looking into the distance for a few seconds.

The basic issues with this just compound as you consider them. Concurrently there’s no din of speculation around what kinds of apps might run on it. At least we all knew what an iPhone was for.

 

[zach-coleman]

Right. But again, any virtual screen is going to be an inherently degraded experience from a real screen. Take a simple graphic task like color correction. How are you going to accurately color calibrate a virtual screen that’s a few millimeters from your eye?

Apple devices usually come pretty well calibrated from the factory. Any further adjustment I don’t understand how it would be much of an issue to adjust. The thing in front of your eyes is still just a screen, it could be calibrated just like any other screen. If you mean virtual screens within the FOV, I don’t see why those would have any color shifting problems.

And that raises the issue of eye strain generally. Staring at an iPhone screen all day is far from an optimal situation. Having that screen encompass your entire field of view is likely to cause the same strain only without any ability to reset by looking into the distance for a few seconds.

Take it off and walk around for a few minutes? It’s not surgically attached.

The basic issues with this just compound as you consider them. Concurrently there’s no din of speculation around what kinds of apps might run on it. At least we all knew what an iPhone was for.

Similar thing happened with the iPad. I'm not going to say that thing was a world changing hit but it certainly worked out just fine. Had a good amount of early hype and carved out a niche that persists to this day.

 

[JamesHolden]

Apple devices usually come pretty well calibrated from the factory. Any further adjustment I don’t understand how it would be much of an issue to adjust. The thing in front of your eyes is still just a screen, it could be calibrated just like any other screen. If you mean virtual screens within the FOV, I don’t see why those would have any color shifting problems.

This holds true for any task where color accuracy isn't critical. If you're talking about professional uses like graphic design or film and video, color accuracy is very important. These virtual monitors can't be calibrated by third party hardware like physical monitors.

Take it off and walk around for a few minutes? It’s not surgically attached.

Lol. So why wear it in the first place? What's the advantage?

Similar thing happened with the iPad. I'm not going to say that thing was a world changing hit but it certainly worked out just fine. Had a good amount of early hype and carved out a niche that persists to this day.

The iPad is also basically nothing more than a big screen iPhone. It's obvious why it carved out a niche. The headset is something completely different.

Based on rumors... You don't touch it. You wear it. It completely obscures your field of vision and either immerses you in a virtual world or has you experience "reality" through cameras and screens, which is completely different from wearing glasses. To interact, you use your eyes and/or gestures in the air.

The iPad worked like an iPhone and the use cases were obvious. That's not remotely true for the headset.

 

[knowsuchpeace]

What is the killer app of the iPad, in your opinion? Or is the iPad also a commodity?

 

[Brad7]

WWDC 2022 - Shoot me now! The transition is so smooth. Check it out! 🫡😳🥵

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665049319089618946

I know what you mean, I’ve been rewatching last year’s recently, replaying this part in particular, and I love it every single time.

And for this year there’s a new clip that showed up today on the TV+ app, let me see if I can share it. So hyped for tomorrow!

 

[Surf Monkey]

Apple devices usually come pretty well calibrated from the factory. Any further adjustment I don’t understand how it would be much of an issue to adjust. The thing in front of your eyes is still just a screen, it could be calibrated just like any other screen. If you mean virtual screens within the FOV, I don’t see why those would have any color shifting problems.

As a print designer I can tell you that accurate screen color calibration is absolutely mission critical.

Take it off and walk around for a few minutes? It’s not surgically attached.

With a 2 hour battery you won’t have any choice. But you’re missing my point. Human eyes aren’t evolved to stare into a screen all the time.

Similar thing happened with the iPad. I'm not going to say that thing was a world changing hit but it certainly worked out just fine. Had a good amount of early hype and carved out a niche that persists to this day.

“It’s a screen with enough real estate to actually take full advantage of iOS.”

There’s a reason developers have flocked to the iPad. Its use cases are obvious. And iPad is not a niche product. Not by a long shot.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Less than a day left! Let’s go!!!

We won’t ever have to see this render again.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665428415350964225

 

[Surf Monkey]

What is the killer app of the iPad, in your opinion? Or is the iPad also a commodity?

The killer iPad app is Safari. Steve Jobs even wanted to call it the “Safari pad.”

When it comes to commodities I’d place Chromebooks in that category, not iPads.

 

[Brad7]

I know what you mean, I’ve been rewatching last year’s recently, replaying this part in particular, and I love it every single time.

And for this year there’s a new clip that showed up today on the TV+ app, let me see if I can share it. So hyped for tomorrow!

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

Based on rumors... You don't touch it. You wear it. It completely obscures your field of vision and either immerses you in a virtual world or has you experience "reality" through cameras and screens, which is completely different from wearing glasses. To interact, you use your eyes and/or gestures in the air.

The iPad worked like an iPhone and the use cases were obvious. That's not remotely true for the headset.

Thank you for pointing this out. Yes, there were doubters and skeptics of the iPad, but they weren't exactly wrong when they said it was a "giant iPhone". That's how it effectively works; it's a larger device running the same OS that the iPhone runs. In effect it is a giant iPhone. That's fine, though, because it's great for mobile computing for those who don't need the extra utility offered by a laptop but want to do more than they can do on their small phone screen. The fact is that all these comparisons to other Apple devices just don't work. There isn't anything like the headset in Apple's current or past lineup. There is nothing to compare it to. It's something entirely new. And we will just have to see if it succeeds or fails. But we can't argue that it will succeed or fail based on the success or failure or past or current Apple products.