Apple introduces Vision Pro VR glasses for $3499

Apple announced the Vision Pro VR glasses at its own developer conference WWDC. According to the company, it is a device that enables ‘spatial computing’. The software has a 3D interface.

Controlling the Vision Pro in visionOS works with gesture control. For example, it is possible to select an element by bringing the index finger and thumb together. Moving those fingers up or down causes scrolling. When users look at a text field, they can dictate text. The digital crown works to more or less block out the environment.

The glasses detect if someone is in the room and then display them automatically. When a user is not in an experience, the screen on the front shows the user’s eyes. This is done with infrared eye tracking. EyeSight also displays when users take a photo or video using the cameras on the glasses. That footage is in 3D.

Many apps are included in the software, including Safari, Photos, Messages, Facetime and TV+. It is also possible to use the Vision Pro as a screen for a Mac by looking at it. The Vision Pro also has the ability to display 3D movies. In addition, users create a Persona, a 3D model of their own face for video meetings. VisionOS will have its own App Store. Users are authenticated with Optic ID, an iris scanner in the headset.

The Vision Pro has a microLED screen, with pixels of 7.5 microns. As a result, according to Apple, 64 pixels of the screen fit in one of the Vision Pro. There is a curved OLED screen on the outside to make the VR glasses appear transparent. Apps can’t access data from what users are looking at.

The Vision Pro has an M2 soc with an R1 chip that has to process the input from sensors as quickly as possible. It can operate on mains power or with an external battery. That gives a battery life of two hours, says Apple. The Vision Pro will be released early next year for $3499 in the US and will be released in several countries in the following months. Nothing is known yet about a release in the Benelux.