Apple Vision Pro: Changing the human experience in a dynamic way?

Apple has once again come to remind the world that it is still one of the world’s most innovative tech companies. The announcement of its Vision Pro Headset earlier on June 5th 2023 is said to change the gaming and visual technology world. The headset has a two-hour battery life at a price of $3,499. This is seven times higher than the price of Meta Quest 3 to be released by Autumn this year priced at $499.

What about the Apple Vision Pro?

The Apple Vision Pro cuts across the traditional display to a more 3D user interface that functions based on natural and intuitive inputs of human sense organs (eyes, hands, and voice) within the new spatial computing operating system - VisionOS.

The headset is made up of two chips — M2 and R1. The M2 chip delivers unparalleled standalone performance while the R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user’s eyes, in real-time. The R1 stream displays images at 12 milliseconds (8x faster than the blink of a human eye).

Apple stated that Vision Pro is designed to capture 23 million pixels on two displays, which makes the experience as real as anyone can imagine.

Apple states that the Apple Vision Pro is:

“a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world while allowing users to stay present and connected to others.”

What can Apple Vision Pro do for you?

At EdenBase, we are always curious to explore how technology helps in solving real-life issues, especially in the health, education, media, and finance sectors.

The Apple Pro uses a 3D display that makes things appear side by side regardless of physical boundaries and size. We envisioned some interesting applications for the technology:

1. The Immersive Workspace: The magic keyboard and trackpads can allow users to create an expansive workspace allowing total immersion that could help boost productivity.

This can focus on improving your experience, especially when you are working remotely to visualise things as they should be in reality.

2. Spatial FaceTime Interaction: Apple Vision Pro blends the audio of people on a call to reflect what is around the user’s room.

This makes it seem like participants are speaking right alongside each other with a digital representation of themselves to share back to others in the conversation

From a healthcare perspective, doctors could use this to collaborate from a distance for urgent operations.

But in the everyday world, consumers could also shop from home with spatial experience, make orders, or conduct consultations with advisors if VisionOS is embedded in e-commerce websites.

Apple and the Launch Partner-Disney

Vision Pro’s biggest launch partner Disney appears to be very happy with the announcement of the new device it has given them great influence on getting early access to build an exceptional mixed reality user experience. Disney announced they would bring Disney+ into the Vision Pro services.

Disney has had a tumultuous few years resulting from the pandemic impacting their leisure parks and live experiences, coupled with a reduction in cinema attendance.

The adoption of Vision Pro in Disney+ will help to reimagine delivering high-quality mixed reality experiences. It’s clear why Disney has recently been identified as a potential merger target for Apple.

Amongst other content providers showcased, Vision Pro provides an opportunity for platforms like National Geographic, ESPN, and NFL to create an enhanced user experience in how they present their content.

What does the EdenBase Team have to say about Apple Vision Pro?

We believe that Apple Vision Pro is a game changer in the world of virtual reality (VR). It is a big leap in the metaverse space and, indeed, provides a spatial experience that will affect how people conduct their daily activities.

However, members of the team and our portfolio had mixed opinions about the product and its development.

Henry Cook, our investment Strategy Executive sees Vision Pro as the culmination of all of Apple’s products and will completely change the way people consume and interact with content – especially sports and other entertainment-related content.

Mike Charalambous, CEO of EdenBase portfolio company Threedium shared his insights into the development.

"This is a huge unlock to bring the new internet (or the 3D Internet) to life (I've also made a post about it pre-launch last week.”

For Mike, Vision PO introduces spatial experiences, interactions, and the ability to create new emotions around entertainment, communications, social, and of course commerce once it becomes mass-market ready. The new internet will be unleashed to the world allowing brands and consumers to expect more experiences, better product navigation, better product fidelity, and overall better touchpoints across consumers’ shopping journey.

Mike said Threedium's tech is already doing that on desktop and mobile in a much more static omnichannel. More importantly, Threedium is diligently building a scalable 3D commerce infrastructure to enable brands and marketplaces to design, manage, distribute, and collect user behaviour data via immersive commerce solutions across any channel (including the likes of Vision Pro).

This means the brands using Threedium's infrastructure are instantly ready to begin serving content within Vision Pro and reshaping their next-gen commerce display. As it scales, the infrastructure can be powering the new Vision Pro App store as brands look to flood it with new 3D/AR commerce experiences.

The vision pro’s 5,000 patents contrast with the 200 created for the iPhone 1 as a launch product. In the eyes of our Marketing lead, Fergal Kilroy, it demonstrates the complexity of innovation for creating a landmark Apple product in today’s market.

As the world's most valuable company, and one that avoided the AI hype, it will be interesting to see what constitutes innovation in that field over the next few years, and we will likely see the next leap if they do release a self-driving vehicle. This has been equally long in the rumour mill and will require AI to drive it.

Fergal and Henry see this as the first entirely new product that Apple produced after the death of Steve Jobs. If you’d like a really cool insight into some of the work that went into developing the Apple Vision Pro, then check out this twitter thread.

How will Consumers Respond to Vision Pro?

Some of us from the EdenBase team have been raising questions about how the average consumer will respond to the Apple Vision Pro.

They're speculating whether Apple's decision to introduce a high-end device like this, with its compromised form factor and weight, will really match what people expect.

We'll have to wait and see how the device fares and if people incorporate this advanced technology into their daily lives.

Now, let's talk about the human-centered design and science behind the device. From the perspective of our Programme Manager and neuroscientist Nikki Doll-Steinberg, the Apple Vision Pro is an exciting development in the world of neurotechnology.

By seamlessly integrating with our senses, like vision and audio, this headset has the potential to revolutionise mental and physical health in incredible ways.

Researchers and experts envision applications in areas such as mental health treatment, providing immersive therapies for conditions like anxiety and depression.

In addition, for those dealing with medical conditions such as chronic pain, the device could play a role by offering alternative sensory experiences. The full impact of this headset on neuroscience and its therapeutic potential remains an intriguing frontier that warrants further exploration.

Conclusion

The Apple Vision Pro represents a paradigm shift in the realm of Mixed Reality (MR) and marks a significant stride forward in the metaverse space. Offering a truly immersive and spatial experience, it has the potential to reshape how people engage with content and conduct their daily activities.

While opinions within the EdenBase team vary, there is consensus that the device combines Apple's vast array of technologies and will have a transformative impact on multiple industries.

Though its high price tag and other considerations exist, Apple Vision Pro undoubtedly signals an exciting leap forward in the world of technology.