Apple Vision Pro: Welcome to the era of spatial computing

Well, after many years of hearing rumors we finally got a first look at Apple’s vision for the future - Apple Vision Pro.

There’s a lot to digest from the announcement but the overall message is our digital words and physical worlds are getting one step closer to merging and Apple is setting up a vision for the future that removes nearly all of their flagship products and combines them into a single device.

“The headset marks the first time that Apple has created a new platform that could supplant most of its major existing products. The iPhone cannibalized the iPod, and the iPad threatened the Mac. But no Apple product category has had the ability to knock out three major segments at once.”

- Mark German of Bloomberg.

Our content and data is going to surround us, overlayed into our physical spaces as we use hand gestures to interact with it.

Yes the Vision Pro looks a bit goofy (for now). Yes, it looks like ski goggles (For now). Yes, it’s a cumbersome device that requires a battery pack (for now). Early cell phones were huge and looked goofy at the time too.

Ironically, the first cellphone, the Motorola DynaTAC, cost $3,995 when it was released. Apple Vision Pro will come in at $3,499.

But what we’re seeing the first device that is setting the foundation for what for the next decade for daily computing is going to look like. We’ve gone from desktop computing to mobile computing and now it’s spatial computing.

What I’m most interested to experiment with is photo and video editing inside the Vision Pro.

If the resolution truly is as good as Apple is promising, can it replace my Apple Display? If so, a dual monitor set up is about the same price as the Vision Pro. 

What will the color accuracy be like? What will Photoshop look like with a simulated 100 foot screen? Being able to fully tune out surrounding light to fully focus on retouching an image or a cutting a video edit could be useful.

I would love to be able to “touch” my images as I’m working on them - retouching, dialing in curves, and making slider adjustments using my hands may feel like a more tactile, immersive experience to work on an image. I don't think this capability is there yet but how long?

For video editing I may not need a large playback monitor anymore if I can turn the reality dial and playback my edits on a simulated movie theater screen.

I’m also curious to see how I might be able to use the Vision Pro to walk into a space and visualize what prints would look like on the walls. Visualizing sizing and frame color based on the environment.

Could my print shop, PENNBRIDGE, show customers what a print will look like on their walls so they can see which size and image fits best in their space?

Overall, I’m excited for the potential of the Vision Pro.

I don’t think entertainment and web scrolling is a killer enough reason for many people to rush out and buy this device, especially with a price take at $3499.

We’re still a long way away until we see this vision of the future more fully realized. What will developers start to build for this platform? What will be the killer apps and price point that starts to make this more attractive?

At what point does the decision start to be between an iPhone or a pair of glasses?

Over the next 5-10 years I think we see the phone start to fade out completely. We move into the post-iphone era and in it’s place would be a pair of glasses for a mixed reality display. Maybe the Apple Watch is providing computing power and a larger iPad type device is used when you need more powerful computing power. Perhaps eventually we move towards some type of cloud based computing power where the computing is done fully external from the device itself.

In any case, this is that start to a new foundation in computing. New tools, new interactivity with our data, and a new platform to create with. I’m curious to see how it develops.