In the riskiest bet since “iPhone” .. “Apple” is amid the Metaverse with the “Vision Pro” headset

Yesterday, on Monday, Apple introduced an augmented reality headset called “Vision Pro” in the world of “Metaverse” (which is dominated by the social media giant, “Meta“). This is Apple’s biggest and most risky move since the launch of the “iPhone”.

The price of the “Vision Pro” starts at $ 3,499, more than 3 times the price of the most expensive “Meta” mixed reality headset (Quest Pro), which currently dominates the augmented and virtual reality headset market.

It is expected that “Apple” will launch its new headphones in the United States in early 2024, and that it will launch them in more countries later in the same year.

Apple announced that the “Vision Pro” users can identify the content by looking at it through the glasses. Additionally, the glasses will have a 3D camera and microphone system to capture videos and images that can be viewed in 3D later.

During a speech before revealing the new product, Apple President Tim Cook stated that combining digital content with the physical world would give rise to unprecedented experiences.

Richard Howarth, corporate vice president responsible for the design, said, “If you buy the latest TV, high-performance speakers, a powerful PC with lots of high-resolution screens, and other advanced hardware, you won’t get to the Vision Pro level.”

The difference between the “Meta” and “Apple” headphones

The main difference between the “Vision Pro” and “Meta” (Quest Pro) headsets is that the “Vision Pro” has an additional external screen that allows people outside the headset to see the user’s eyes.

When the user is fully engaged in a virtual world, the external screen goes dark. In the default mode, the headset displays the user and someone who approaches them to each other, as confirmed by Apple’s representative Alan Day. He stated that you will never feel isolated as you can still see and be seen by people around you.

The price of Apple shares increased by 2% and reached a new high of $184.95 before the launch. However, after the announcement, the shares closed at a slightly lower price.

Apple has designed a new chip named R1 for its headset that can quickly process data from its sensors. The headset is also capable of functioning as a traditional computer with multiple screens when used with a trackpad and keyboard for work purposes.

Vision Pro and applications

According to an announcement, “Apple” is collaborating with “Adobe” and “Microsoft” to make their applications compatible with the new headset. Additionally, “Unity”, a company that works with game developers, will also have their technology integrated, as well as a broadcasting service from “Walt Disney” on the “Vision Pro” speaker from the beginning. As a result of the news, shares of “Unity” increased by over 14%.

The Vision Pro is a portable device that can fit in a pocket and has a two-hour battery life. It allows the user to control applications and virtual screens using eye movements, gestures, and voice commands. The user can adjust the level of immersion in virtual worlds through a special tap.

There is a lot of attention from investors and technology enthusiasts on how Apple’s plans for the virtual reality market align with Meta’s vision. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has described his vision of a “Metaverse” where people can use headphones to enter a virtual space where they can socialize, work, play, and shop.

Meta, as well as two other companies owned by ByteDance, Sony and Pico, have released virtual reality headsets. According to research firm IDC, 8.8 million such headsets were sold in the previous year.

“MacBook Air”

Apple also unveiled a host of new products and features, including the 15-inch MacBook Air laptop, a powerful M2 chip, improvements to the iOS operating system, and autocorrect.

It announced an update to its lineup of Mac laptops and PCs with proprietary CPU chips.

And while Apple hasn’t made any major announcements about generative AI products similar to ChatGBT or Google’s cool search engine, it has used AI in many smaller features, such as direct transcription of voice messages.

The price of the “MacBook Air”, which is supported by the “M2” processor chip – and is equipped with 6 speakers – starts at $ 1,299, and it will be on the market next week. The 13-inch MacBook Air costs $1,099.

Personal computers

The Mac Studio PC from Apple has been upgraded with the new Ultra M2 chip. This chip can handle artificial intelligence programs that other chips can’t process due to memory limitations.

And “Apple” also presented a new version of the “Mac Pro”, its highest-performance device for personal computers, which it also supplied with the “Ultra M2” chip, and its price starts at $ 6999.

The “Ultra M2” chip is essentially two integrated chips from Apple’s largest “M2” chips, a method the company has taken to boost the performance of its “M1” chips.

As of Monday, the Mac Pro was the last computer in the Apple lineup to still use Intel chips.