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Apple Vision Pro & The Future of Computing
“One More Thing….”
After 5 years in retirement (since iPhone X), Tim Cook uttered the words two weeks ago and changed the world. Apple has once again done what has made them the most valuable company on the planet: they’ve taken proven innovative technology, improved it, and packaged it into its highest-end, most user-friendly incarnation.
Personally, I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. I mouthed the words “One More Thing…” as Tim Cook was saying goodbye last WWDC and the one before that. So, now that it is finally here, I have been diving DEEP into this new product, the software that powers it, and what it means for the future of computing, now made spatial.
This is part one of a multi-part series we’ll roll out as we get deeper and deeper into the tech to bring you more insights and opportunities for building with the Vision Pro.
Adam Wilson
Polyform Zine Editor
Current State of Spatial Computing
Over the past 2 decades, what began with the Oculus Kickstarter and strapping smartphones to our faces (Google Cardboard / Samsung Gear VR) has slowly evolved into a toy for tech aficionados and gamers. In those 20 years, Google, Meta, HTC, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Valve, and others have all thrown their hat into the AR/VR ring. In 2022, the Meta Quest 2 became the crescendo of this first wave of consumer VR as the best-selling VR headset of all time, selling more than 20 million units.
Now, stepping into spatial computing in 2023, the Vision Pro represents a new, second wave of consumer headsets, and an epic voyage into the unknown. The Vision Pro marks a new mindset towards AR, spatial computing, and headsets as Apple highlights media consumption and work over video games and VR, leading us into uncharted territory, and the future.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Vision Pro: What it is
Vision Pro isn't just another VR headset; it's something new all together, an evolution in the world of spatial computing. This headset offers unprecedented quality and functionality, bringing digital and physical realities closer than ever before, in ways that will impact how we interact with information in ways we can’t yet fathom. Like the 1st iPhone, or the Macintosh.
If the Quest 2 is a Nintendo Switch on your face, think of the Vision Pro as an iMac Pro (bumped to max specs) strapped to your head, and like an iMac, it is meant for work.
The Vision Pro is powered by visionOS, the first operating system designed from the ground up for spatial computing. This 3D interface breaks the boundaries of traditional displays, allowing apps to appear side by side at different scales. Moreover, it responds dynamically to natural light, casting shadows to communicate scale and distance. |  |
 | Upon launch, Vision Pro users will have access to apps from Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, and more, including multiple media consumption experiences that take advantage of its more than 4K resolution per eye. Plus, over 100 Apple Arcade titles will be playable on VisionOS from day one. |
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Vision Pro: How it Works
The Vision Pro boasts a sleek ski goggle-like design, with a continuous front panel that wraps around the wearer’s eyes, hiding a fan that keeps the device's interior cool. The device uses a LOT of juice, therefore, generates a lot of heat. The back features an easily adjustable band, catering to your comfort, and specially designed magnetic lenses for prescription wearers, developed in collaboration with Zeiss.
Its impressive high-resolution front cameras provide a clear view of the surroundings, blurring the lines between the real and virtual world. The device's sensors and cameras, a staggering total of 23, feed into the new Apple-originated R1 chip, designed to eliminate lag and stream images to the display eight times faster than the blink of an eye. |  |
 | The headset's dual display, one for each eye, comprises 23 million pixels, promising a superior viewing experience. More than 4K per eye. An Apple Watch-style crown enables easy adjustment from AR to VR. |
The Vision Pro interfaces with your head via a strap with an adjustment knob on the back. There is a Light Seal that wraps around your eyes, delivering a precise fit while blocking out ambient light. |  |
 | One of the Vision Pro's standout features is its intuitive eye tracking and gesture-based controls, enabled by its many cameras and powered by the dual M2 & R1 chips (Apple Silicon). Famously even-keeled tech reviewer Marques Brownlee described the controls as “magic”. |
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Vision Pro: Who it’s For & For What
The Vision Pro is intended for fanboys & builders, and despite a hefty price tag of $3,499 USD, it has captivated tech heads worldwide. Many hoping to capitalize on a new golden age of apps powered by its unique features and Apple's promise to democratize the tech with future budget-friendly versions.
Focusing on work positions the Vision Pro to be app and utility driven rather than game and interaction driven, like the Quest 2. But to hit critical mass, it needs apps, and LOTS of them. |  |
 | For the Apple fanboys, the killer apps will be media. Bigger, bolder ways to watch movies, play games, record 3D videos, and the promise of new and immersive experiences yet to be seen. Apple has successfully pushed the entire industry forward into the unknown, but this is just a stepping-off point for the future & their ultimate vision for AR. |
I don’t have a kid yet, but when I do their first computer will be a headset. I’ll show them my old phone and they’ll laugh at the concept of all that information being locked inside a brick of glass and metal.
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Your weekly dank c/o the Polyform Crew
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