Apple Vision Pro Review
Apple Vision Pro is the biggest technological invention released in 2024. It’s the first completely new device product type that Apple has created since 2015, and once again Apple brands it as revolutionary.
Virsabi CPO, Jens Lauritsen, picked up a headset in San Francisco, and we did an interview with him on Teams to get his first reactions.
Spatial Computing
Apple Vision Pro
Review
What do you think about the whole setting up process?
“It’s so freaking seamless.”
The headset set-up is very easy when done with Apple’s ecosystem. All it takes is to scan the QR code from your iPhone, and the whole set-up process takes around 5 minutes. However, having an iPhone is not required to set-up the headset, and the headset acts as an independent product, contrary to Apple Watch.
All devices connected to your iPhone will be automatically available for your disposal when using the headset. For instance, if you have your AirPods connected to your iPhone and start using Apple Vision Pro, the sound from the headset will automatically be streamed through the headphones instead of the headset speaker.
Take-aways:
- The battery does not limit your movement, and the cable bends backwards to make it more movement friendly.
- The single headband puts a lot of pressure on your face, but the headset doesn’t feel heavy when wearing it.
- The headset doesn’t generate a lot of heat, despite it being a computer itself. While wearing it, you do not feel any heat on your face coming out of it.
Is the eye tracking and gesture system as good as advertised?
“It works extremely well. I mean it. It’s amazing how well it works.”
Apple Vision Pro gesture system lets you select items by using your eyes and hands instead of controllers.
“I have tried all the different headsets for the last seven years. All kinds of ways of interacting with gestures, gaze, eye tracking and all that. And this is by far the most seamless one.”
You must adjust to it first. However, it doesn’t take long. At first, you instinctively aim and look at the same time, but after some time you adjust to not having to aim with your hands.
The Camera and Microphone are exceptional
During the interview, we tested the quality of Apple Vision Pro’s six‑mic array with directional beamforming. Jens was in the room with other people, but the microphone was only picking up what he was saying. The sound quality was exceptional, better than e.g. most of the microphones built in headphones available on the market. Also, the camera quality was very good. Jens was able to take the picture during the interview.
The digital avatar is still in beta – and you can see why.
During the interview conducted on Teams, Jens was using his digital avatar. The whole avatar creation process is easy and takes just a few seconds.
During the interview, the digital avatar uses the same gestures as you are using. Apple Vision Pro uses AI and face tracking to generate facial gestures. It is impressive, but both Jens and I had the same feeling about it – the uncanny valley feeling. It felt like something human but inhuman at the same time. Additionally, when Jens covered part of his face, the whole avatar started breaking.
What do you think about image quality and passthrough?
“It’s super crisp, better than anything I’ve ever seen.”
During the testing of the headset, Jens watched a demo on the headset of a dinosaur on a 2D screen. Eventually, the dinosaur ‘goes out of the screen’, and shows the potential of Apple Vision Pro regarding 3D models and image quality. The images are in very high resolution, with millions of pixels on the screen. It’s ahead of its main competition, Meta Quest 3, in that regard.
The passthrough is also good, but you can still feel that you’re looking through a camera, but a high-quality camera.
Additionally, interacting with the real world has a small uncanny valley feeling, but it’s not big enough to diminish the experience in any way.
Despite that, it is more than enough for extra-ordinary experience.
Compatibility with other apps
Apple Vision Pro is compatible with a lot of apps from the app store, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Teams, and others. It enables working from Apple Vision Pro, which might improve the work of many people who work within the Apple ecosystem.
Since the Apple Vision Pro just came out, it still doesn’t have that many dedicated apps as for instance it’s biggest competitor, Meta Quest 3. It is important to not be biased in this regard, and instead investigate possibilities of how developers can work with this headset.
It is compatible with e.g. Unity engine, which makes it easier to develop new apps for it, however the rest of the tools are created by Apple itself (Swift UI, Reality Kit, AR Kit) and might require developers to learn these programs first. Due to decreased compatibility with developer programs, Apple Vision Pro might have less content compared to other VR headsets, but it will result in higher quality of the content itself.
How can it be used in a business environment?
“You can absolutely use this for extra virtual screens. If you work an hour or two from your home or if you take the train every day, the idea that you would sit in the train and have three large screens and make you more productive that way – that’s the obvious use case.”
The ease of set-up, multi-functionality possibilities, having your personal office without the need of multiple devices and space, having meetings inside the headset – there are a lot of possibilities that can help in bringing business value from Apple Vision Pro. Essentially, it can serve as a computer that you have on your face. It can make it possible to have your office wherever you go.
Final thoughts about Apple Vision Pro
“Having spent seven years in this industry where whenever there’s a new device coming out, you spent the first day just trying to figure out how the heck you get the things to run or connect it with your computer. Sometimes it is so painful that for some people it’s not even worth it, right?
With this, it’s just like it’s instantly there and that’s really the power of it.
Having it in integrated completely into the Apple ecosystem, the seamlessness of that experience is just those two things combined, are just mind-blowing.”
Now Apple Vision Pro will have a big test ahead of itself – and that is wherever people will still use it two months after the whole excitement is gone.
