Tried using Apple MR headset ‘Vision Pro’
Long line of customers at Manhattan Experience Center, New York
Tim Cook: “Experience tomorrow’s technology today”
A more vivid picture than an IMAX movie… The weight of 600g makes my head dizzy.
“I didn’t know it would be this bad. She felt like she had gone back in time while watching the birthday party video. “I think I can do my work with this.”
Apple Store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, USA on the morning of the 2nd (local time). With sparkling eyes, the store employee began explaining the mixed reality (MR) headset ‘Vision Pro’, the first new product released in 15 years. There were several Vision Pros that looked like ski goggles on display, but the actual experience was only possible one-on-one with an employee, so there was a long line of customers. “Approximately 30 people can experience the experience per 30 minutes,” he informed.
Mr. Jeffrey, who came early this morning and successfully experienced (demo), said, “It was so amazing that the app or photo was selected as my eyes moved,” and “More than anything, I was surprised at how realistic the video was. “If the price was cheap, I would have bought it right away,” he said excitedly. The price, which is considered the biggest drawback of Vision Pro, starts at $3,499 (about 4.68 million won) in the United States.
After waiting for 2 days and failing to experience it, I went back to the store at the reservation time on the morning of the 3rd. Although it was a weekend, it was relatively quiet compared to the previous day. First, when I used Vision Pro, the white text “Hello” appeared at the Apple store in front of me. It felt like the app was floating like an iPhone screen. As the employee said, “Look at the photo app,” I looked at it, and the app was selected as if I hovered over it with a mouse cursor.
The regular photos felt like they were just on a large projection screen, so I wasn’t very impressed. However, when I selected the 3D-like ‘spatial video’ that can be captured from the iPhone 15 Pro, a gasp came out. It was a video of a birthday party, and it felt like I was sitting at the table that day. Additionally, by switching a photo of a natural scenery such as a beach to ‘immersive’ mode and enlarging the screen with your finger, you felt like you were instantly transported to the scene in the photo.
The custom-made immersive video can be called a ‘game changer’ for Vision Pro. Most IMAX movies felt boring. No matter where I looked, up or down, I felt like I was directly in the video. At soccer games, I followed the players and watched them, and at the baseball field, I enjoyed the game vividly next to the catcher. In the video of the rhino charging towards him, he even unconsciously held out his hand.
Apple, which has recently come under warning lights due to sluggish sales of the iPhone in China and its inferiority in artificial intelligence (AI), has shown its will to regain its status as an icon of ‘innovation’ with Vision Pro. Apple CEO Tim Cook also visited New York’s Fifth Avenue store that day and took photos with customers who had been lining up since the morning to promote the product. He also emphasized that with Vision Pro, “we are experiencing tomorrow’s technology today.”
However, it is still difficult to say whether the Vision Pro will become a new ‘iPhone moment’ beyond its heavy weight and expensive price. Even though it was a 30-minute experience, I felt dizzy under the weight of 600g. When someone complained, “It’s hard to use for a long time because it’s heavy,” one employee also responded, “There are individual differences, but there were many people who complained.”
The price is a stumbling block that makes people hesitate to purchase. The minimum price is 4.68 million won, but if options are added, the price is expected to exceed 5 million won. Although it is a headset with a full computer, there are many typos when writing with a mixed reality keyboard, which needs to be improved. I still have questions about whether it has any use other than videos made by iPhone 15 Pro users or dedicated app videos.
Apple announced its strategy to secure a dedicated app ecosystem in the future by collaborating with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to create a basketball app for non-professional users. I was curious about the future, whether it would be better to watch basketball alone in a vivid video, or whether watching with friends and family, even on an ordinary TV screen, would still have power.
New York =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.