It's Here! Apple's Transparent VR Headset Plus More From WWDC 2023

It's finally here! Apple finally announced their VR Headset which is somewhat transparent allowing users' eyes to be seen through its front. The headset, Apple says, allows the user to see through to allow for an 'augmented' reality experience as opposed to a virtual reality experience. The headset is next level, far beyond what is available from Meta with their Quest VR headsets.

Apple Vision Pro

The new Apple VR headset is called 'Apple Vision Pro' which brings all of Apple's software and suite of apps to a VR or should I say, Augmented Reality, AR headset.

Transparent Headset?

Through its OS, VisionOS, Apple Vision Pro will first scan your face and use machine learning to create your 'persona'. This persona is a VR/AR render of your face and voice and will project your eyes when using the headset. Therefore, it is NOT a transparent headset but will project your eyes to its front allowing others to feel better interactivity with you while using the headset.

You will, however, be able to see other people who are in front of you as they will be interfaced into your AR experience.

Hardware

The Vision Pro AR headset has 12 cameras, 5 sensors, and 6 microphones and comes with an M2 chip and a new R1 chip to ensure real-time sensor processing. The headset itself is made of 3 parts, the front glass and kit, which contains all the cameras, sensors, and microphones, an eye kit that adjusts to your face, and the strap, which is adjustable via a knob.

The front kit has an adjustable crown to toggle 'environments' and a button to take spatial photos and videos. The eye kit could also have Zeiss lenses attached, for users who wear glasses. Apple says that it has worked with Zeiss to provide a lens that will cater to most eyewear/glasses needs of users. The strap will also come with spatial speakers and is 3D-printed to ensure comfortability, adjustability, and stretch.

Software

The software of Apple Vision Pro is very fluid and 'transparent' like we expect with all their user interfaces. The only difference is that things are bigger and displayed in a 4K display that is adjustable. What Vision Pro does, is add an additional layer to what is already there and thus the focus on Augmented Reality as opposed to Virtual Reality.

Input

To input instructions to Apple Vision Pro, users will control elements viewed via the headset using their hands, i.e. with hand gestures and even voice. Users will be able to use intuitive gestures such as finger swipes and even movements to interact with elements and interfaces displayed by Vision Pro.

Users will also be able to use Magic Keyboard and their Apple devices to help input data and instructions to their AR experiences. The headset has no controllers and only has a detachable battery that the user will place in their pocket. The battery will only last two hours though.

Spatial Camera

Apple Vision Pro comes with a spatial camera that will take spatial photos and videos with spatial audio. These will be images that are 3D and displayed in 4K within the headset.

Theater Mode

Apple Vision Pro comes with a theater mode where users can use the Vision Pro to watch movies in a larger-than-life format on a gigantic scale. The experience includes spatial audio and users can use 'environments' to change the background of the AR experience to a landscape of their choice just by adjusting the crown.

FaceTime for Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro will support Facetime and will allow users to take part in FaceTime calls right from the virtual environment of the headset. The tiles for each FaceTime participant will self-adjust to accommodate more users. Users will also be in a position to multitask while on FaceTime.

Using Multiple Apps

When using multiple apps with Apple Vision Pro, you can use the entire 180-degree front view of the virtual space you see to display multiple apps side by side, essentially having a panorama view of all the apps you have open. This ensures you are concentrating on the apps you want to without having to have just a single app as your central focus. What this means is that when you open new apps, they'll be accommodated in this space of view without overlapping apps that you already have open.

Watch the WWDC 2023 keynote below.

Optic ID

Apple Vision Pro will use Optic ID, a technology similar to FaceID that uses your iris as the unique identifier for your security and to unlock the device. This will also allow you to make in-store app purchases, and lock your sensitive apps. Apple Vision Pro will get its own app store for AR/VR apps and compatible apps with VR and AR.

Collab with Disney

Apple brought on Disney CEO Bob Iger to announce that Disney + would be coming to Apple Vision Pro. Iger said that Disney is excited as the 'world's best storyteller' to work with the 'world's most innovative company' to bring larger-than-life entertainment to their fans.

Price

Vision Pro starts at $3499 and will be available in early 2024 in the US with availability in more locations to be added soon after.

More from WWDC

What stood out most from this year's WWDC was Apple's new 15-inch Macbook Air and new Mac Mini and Mac Pro devices. The company also announced a new M2 chip that they called the 'M2 Ultra'. The M2 Ultra is basically 2 M2 chips conjoined to make one with double the power.

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma

Apple also announced a new iOS 17 and a 'macOS Sonoma' for Macs. iOS 17 features major improvements when it comes to messages, which will now include better stickers, an improved keyboard, and better tile reply capabilities. The Phone app will also get a boost with new contact photos and names that a user can set (similar to how one sets lock screens) and will display as part of the contact info to other people calling them.

There will also be an additional feature in FaceTime to leave a message if you cannot catch the person you are trying to call. iOS 17, Apple says, will not come to iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

macOS Sonoma, on its part, brings new suave widgets to macOS and better capabilities for things like Game Mode, the Safari browser, and FaceTime. What excited us most from this section was that Safari would now allow web apps and web notifications, which means that you can add our site as a web app to your home screen.

Improvements to tvOS and AirPods

Apple also announced that they would be improving tvOS to support FaceTime using Connectivity Camera where the TV will be able to use the camera on your iPhone or iPad as a webcam. Airpods, on the other hand, will be getting software upgrades to improve noise canceling and even to improve the button for muting your surroundings when you are on a call. The improvements will be encapsulated in a new feature called 'Adaptive Audio'.

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