Here’s what we think of Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s first Spatial Computer

The recent launch of the Apple Vision Pro in the United States has ushered in a new era of Spatial Computing, as envisioned by Apple. Having spent the weekend immersed in this innovative device and its visionOS ecosystem, we offer our comprehensive assessment.

Setup:

The setup process for the Vision Pro is straightforward, akin to other Apple devices. Upon activation, users are greeted with the iconic Apple "hello" sign, presented in various languages within their spatial environment.

Noteworthy differences include the configuration of hand and eye tracking, which involve interactive gestures and calibration exercises. Furthermore, you are prompted to create a digital persona for video chatting services, enhancing the immersive communication experience.

You are also prompted to setup Optic ID, Apple's biometric scanning feature, which offers secure unlocking, and then you're asked to press the Digital Crown which takes you to the home screen.

Navigating visionOS:

visionOS represents a groundbreaking departure in operating systems, seamlessly integrating into the Apple ecosystem while offering a distinct user interface. The inclusion of eye tracking introduces a paradigm shift in navigation, where users engage with content through intuitive gaze-based interactions.

While this feature demonstrates remarkable innovation, there exists a slight learning curve initially, necessitating acclimatization to maximize efficiency.

With eye tracking you use your eyes to look at something and whatever you're looking at gets highlighted and to select you just tap your index finger and thumb. This feature generally works really well and is revolutionary itself, but sometimes you can accidentally select things that you didn't want to select. You really have to focus on something and tap your fingers to select. It is hard to get used to at the beginning but you eventually get used to it as you continue to use visionOS.

Photos and Spatial Video:

Apple Vision Pro allows you to view all your photos in your library but what makes the experience very cool is how you're able to view panoramas. While viewing a panorama you have the option of having that panorama wrap around you and it makes you feel like you're actually in the scene. Another new feature is Spatial Video which can be recorded on Apple Vision Pro or the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. Spatial Video adds a 3D affect to videos and when viewing it on Apple Vision Pro actually makes you feel like you're reliving time and in the moment. The experience of watching a Spatial Video is surreal.

Watching Movies and TV Shows:

The Vision Pro elevates the entertainment experience, offering unparalleled flexibility in positioning and sizing content within one's spatial environment.

The ability to position the show or movie you're watching anywhere in your space and size it to make the screen even larger will make this the go to device to watch movies. You can also fully immerse yourself in different environments like "Mount Hood" which is one of the options.

Passthrough:

Passthrough on the Vision Pro though good, isn't that great and is definitely not close to reality. The footage passed on to you from the cameras on Vision Pro of the outside world around your feels like your staring into a video feed which is worse than videos shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. What ruins the experience of being fully immersed is the outline of the Vision Pro you see when using the device. The filed of view isn't as good as what we expected. Vision Pro also makes the outside world look very dull and it's very hard to pay attention to the details on more smaller things around you. Even reading text on the iPhone could be hard.

EyeSight:

Eyesight which allows those around you to see your eyes displayed on the front display of the Vision Pro is a total disaster and looks nothing like Apple's marketing images. Your eyes often appear skewed and very popped out when displayed, there's also often times Vision Pro is displaying the color hue on the front display as well.

How it feels on your head

Vision Pro is very comfortable to wear and fits really well on your head, but it is also very heavy and there isn't an equal weight distribution on the product since all the weight is mainly at the front of your face. It's better to wear the included Dual Loop Band than the Solo Knit Band for more comfort.

Getting work done

Vision Pro is absolutely great for getting work done for those who require a lot of multitasking and would love to have many windows open around them while they work. It's also great to connect seamlessly with your MacBook to make the display larger while still being able to use the keyboard and trackpad on the MacBook.

The only downside will be having to wear the Vision Pro while you're working and the Vision Pro only having 2 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Working on the Vision Pro is a dream come true with the giant screen sizes and multiple windows you can view at a time, but isn't really an intuitive way to work.

Final Thoughts

Apple Vision Pro is definitely an amazing device and is the first of its kind. I was absolutely amazed by the endless possibilities of the device and how simple it was to navigate. Apple's take in the VR space is so much better because it combines both augmented and virtual reality to provide an immersive experience while also allowing you to be present and engaged with the world around you.

The hardware of the Apple Vision Pro is absolutely amazing and the 4K displays allow the content your viewing to be crisp and clear.

Despite the $3,500 price tag, Vision Pro is absolutely an amazing piece of technology and since this is the first generation in the lineup, we can expect better things down the road.