Apple is preparing to launch its Vision Pro headset in the United States. This product, described as the world's first "space computer", will be available in US Apple Stores and on Apple's US website from February 2, priced at US$3,500.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said: "The age of spatial computing is here. Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created. Its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine the way we connect , to create and explore."
First introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2023, the Vision Pro runs on the new visionOS. This glasses-like headset offers an immersive interface controlled entirely by the user's hands, eyes and voice.
Since its first presentation, Apple has collaborated with internal and independent application developers to adapt certain applications from the App Store to the Vision Pro. Apple says the Vision Pro will be compatible with more than a million iOS and iPadOS apps.
The Vision Pro also features Apple's M2 chip and the new R1 chip. The device offers 256 GB of storage, spatial audio and micro-OLED technology that integrates 23 million pixels into two screens.
Pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro will begin online on Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. PST / 8 a.m. EST.
Design and technical characteristics
The Vision Pro sports an aluminum chassis, signature of the Apple brand, on which there is a curved glass facade which hides its numerous sensors. The device has a screen that allows the user's gaze to be visible to other people in the room, to limit the impression of being cut off from the world. This system is called EyeSight.
The headset is equipped with Micro-Oled screens, offering a resolution higher than that of a 4K television per eye, for a total of 23 million pixels. This feature puts the Vision Pro well beyond the competition in terms of image sharpness.
The Apple Vision Pro has a digital crown, similar to that of the Apple Watch, which allows you to adjust the level of immersion on the fly. In terms of interactions, Apple has skipped the controllers. Everything is done by voice and gesture recognition as well as by following the user's gaze.
Apple has highlighted four major use cases for the Vision Pro. The first is watching films and series on a large virtual screen. The headset's operating system, called visionOS, is based on iOS but has been modified to take advantage of this spatial environment. It is therefore possible to have a multitude of windows like so many screens in which compatible iPhone or iPad applications can be displayed.
