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Apple reveal augmented reality headset described as 'most advanced device ever’
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Apple is used to defining the future of technology, and now, it’s set out a brand new vision of how we’re all going to live our lives.
On Monday, the silicon valley behemoth unveiled its groundbreaking augmented reality headset which it claims to be “the most advanced personal electronic device ever”.
Called Vision Pro, the “mixed reality” glasses combine “virtual reality” – in which the wearer is fully immersed in the digital world – with “augmented reality” – where digital images are overlaid onto the real world.
Resembling a pair of ski goggles, it features a glass 23-million-pixel screen which covers the upper face and is controlled using the wearer’s eyes, hands and voice.
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It all sounds pretty cool, no? But anyone wanting to get their hands on their own Vision Pro will have to fork out a cool $3,499 (£2,800.
The launch was met with much fanfare and hype, with experts divided over its potential as an everyday staple.
Here’s a look at how Twitter reacted to tech’s shiny new toy:
The Vision Pro enables what Apple calls “spatial computing” – where the wearer can interact with digital content “just like it’s in your physical space”.
The headset features built-in speakers and attaches using an adjustable headband, while a wire leads from the device to a battery pack which sits in the user’s pocket.
Vents draw in air to cool the device down, rendering it “virtually silent”, Apple claims.
Its four-figure price tag is roughly 10 times the price of the Meta Quest 2, the leading VR headset from Facebook’s parent company, which retails for £299.99.
It will be available online and in Apple stores in the US from early next year and will come to more countries “later next year”.
It is the first augmented reality headset released by Apple, and the first new product it has launched since announcing the Apple Watch in 2015.
Tim Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs as Apple CEO in 2011, said: “I believe that augmented reality is a profound technology. Blending digital content with the real world can unlock experiences like nothing we’ve ever seen.
“Vision Pro is a new kind of computer that augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world.
“With Vision Pro, you’re no longer limited by a display. Your surroundings become an infinite canvas.
“There are certain products that shift the way we look at technology and the role it plays in our lives.
“Apple’s Vision Pro, together with Vision OS, introduces an entirely new spatial computing platform, a platform that presents incredible possibilities for our users and exciting new opportunities for our developers.”
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