Apple&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPXhaeUlnZkk0Y2x3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrTlhwRVprMHZWVVUzVUd0aU5scFRUVGxoTkdsTFp6MDk-8217;s Vision Pro Enters a Troubled Market
Apple recently unveiled its latest product, the Vision Pro. This head-mounted device is better positioned for success than most of its predecessors in the market, and it matches up on specs to some of the better tethered headsets without the computer tether. But it still must overcome a problem that has plagued this class of product from the start.
The Problem with Headsets
People don’t seem to like things that you attach to your body to give you extra capability, and we really don’t like things that go on our faces. Recall the rebellion against mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic or the 3D TV wave that failed because people didn’t like wearing glasses, even if they cost as little as $15. We dislike putting things on our faces so much that we will have expensive eye surgery or wear uncomfortable contact lenses to avoid it.
However, if a new product offers an initial benefit, and it can provide one thing a user needs that nothing else can provide, it can be successful. This is what happened with the iPod and the iPhone.
Potential Benefits of the Vision Pro
With the Vision Pro&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPXhaeUlnZkk0Y2x3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrTlhwRVprMHZWVVUzVUd0aU5scFRUVGxoTkdsTFp6MDk-8217;s embedded cameras and display, users can see better in low light situations, such as when outside at night. They should be able to see things they might otherwise miss, like deer approaching a road or thermal differences in pavement that might be black ice.
For productivity, today’s laptops, tablets, and smartphones are all screen limited. Apple’s head-mounted computer could be a godsend for those who need more screen real estate when working while traveling or remotely.
Other possibilities include vision exercises designed to reduce vision decline, meditation apps to help wind down on a plane or before sleep, and video conferencing. Apple accomplished something interesting by allowing users to create avatars with realistic eyes by using internal eye tracking. That may help people adjust to metaverse conferencing, something that’s not been getting much traction of late.
One obvious shortcoming is that Apple isn’t very far along with generative AI, which could be a game changer for this device. However, by launching the device months ahead of availability, the company has time to get developers excited, and they may have to pay some of them to ensure there is a Vision Pro ecosystem in place when the device is launched.
The Future of Computing?
A device like the Vision Pro is the future of personal computing and could eventually replace both the PC and the smartphone. Apple isn’t likely to see it that way. Instead, it’s more likely to pitch the Vision Pro as an additive product, something you get to complement an iPhone or Mac, not replace them.
This approach opens the door for another vendor to slipstream Apple’s effort and steal the market from them. Apple didn’t use this approach with the iPod (which worked with Windows PCs and replaced the Sony Walkman), or the iPhone which effectively replaced the iPod.
In short, Apple’s current approach could leave it vulnerable. But the company certainly will make the AR/VR category interesting. Whether it’s Apple or another company, we will have a viable and successful head-mounted display in the market within a few short years.
