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Apple Vision Pro : Exploring the frontiers in mixed reality

Apple never ceases to amaze with its product releases. Constantly pushing boundaries and always experimenting, the latest technology product from its stable is the Apple Vision Pro. As a revolutionary hashtag#spatial computer, it is no surprise then that the markets are abuzz, and curiosity levels at its peak around this latest release.

With Apple Vision Pro, Apple has unveiled an unbelievably futuristic mixed reality headset. It’s a headset that seamlessly blends your physical space with digital content. What’s even more fascinating is that you navigate it using the most natural controllers ever - your eyes, your hands and your voice for an awe inspiring multi dimensional experience.

For a peek into how it works, look here.

The new product was announced at the worldwide developers conference, WWDC 2023. Equipped with powerful processors and a high-resolution micro-OLED display, the earliest that customers can expect to get their hands on it is in the first half of 2024.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for computing,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “ Built upon decades of Apple innovation, Vision Pro is years ahead and unlike anything created before — with a revolutionary new input system and thousands of groundbreaking innovations. It unlocks incredible experiences for our users and exciting new opportunities for our developers.”

For a tech enthusiast, this product is going to be the portal to an awe-inspiring realm of mixed reality.

If you love theater and larger-than-life immersive entertainment experiences, the Vision Pro will create an infinite canvas wherever you are . Put on the headset and watch movies, play games and escape into an alternate dimension. Spatial audio will make the experience hyper real while the headsets' sensors and controllers will let you play games that draw you into another realm of existence.

With kids, friends, colleagues, family scattered all across the globe, Face Timing is going to get even more real. Interact with them in their 3D avatars and even share your memories through special videos and images. How about that?

If photography, video or reel making is where your skills lie, you can capture moments in 3D with special audio. If you don’t like what you did or want to make it better, you can go ahead and edit these effortlessly.

How can businesses make use of this?

Even at a not-so-insignificant price point of USD 3499, it holds promise for businesses in some of its more exciting innovative applications.

Product demonstrations is an area where an immersive experience delivered using the Vision Pro can be a deal maker. Use it to show how the product will look,sound, feel and react and respond under different scenarios. The multi dimensional, multi sensory option will allow an almost real experience leaving very little unexplored or unimagined scenarios. Engaging and converting a prospect could likely become a cakewalk and the buyer journey will progress at a much faster pace.

Pandemic and later, virtual events have become ubiquitous. With the Vision Pro virtual events will bring an experience that will overcome the smallest of gaps or lacunae that existed between in person and virtual events.The Vision Pro will break further frontiers in delivering the ultimate multi dimensional experience.

Education and training will be another aspect that could undergo dramatic change. The potential to leverage this in training , education and guidance is immense. Imagine how simulated situations could recreate scenarios that would provide a real life environment and improve preparedness.New product training can be delivered with life-like accuracy with an immersive tool such as the Vision Pro.

Branding will benefit significantly. Envisage the impact of a narrative delivered using multiple sensors in a mixed reality environment. The impact will be life-like and unmatched. The power of storytelling will be at its zenith and the immersive experience impossible to beat.

Competitors: Apple’s not alone

At the same time, it's interesting to note that Apple has competitors in this space too.

Meta plans to release Meta Quest 3 a mixed reality VR headset later this year. And it's going to be priced at a much more affordable USD 499.

Microsoft’s HoloLens2 is a second gen advanced product that explores a similar concept but mainly leveraged for industrial use and remote assistance.

Magic Leap is a startup that has also thrown its hat in the ring.The Magic Leap 1 uses light -field technology and focuses on hologram creation,making it more popular in the entertainment, education and medical field.

But is it practical?

For those skeptical about using this tech, note that Boeing technicians have been using AR glasses for quite some time. Similarly Varjo uses its own mixed reality headsets in enabling human-eye resolution, mixed reality coordination and remote working. InContext solutions helps to visualize store layouts, product displays and shopper behavior with mixed reality headsets.Closer home, Ikea’s IKEA Place, a VR-based app allows users to virtually place 3D models of its fixtures and furniture in their own homes to get a glimpse into how it would look in reality.

All of these goes to show that the applications are numerous and many are already using these openly or in stealth mode. Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality tech are taking over by storm and what we need to learn now is how to leverage this capability. Technology is advancing at an exponential pace and we should be prepared to harness this for good.