There are three weeks left before Apple introduces the world to its latest breakthrough: the Reality Pro. It’s a risky decision. For some it may be too much, but Apple controls it perfectly. The company is able to generate a kind of almost mystical aura that very few companies are able to achieve.
Those in Cupertino, when it comes to talking about new products, are a bunker. Hermetism governs, at least officially, corporate communication. What connoisseurs call PR. At Apple, they know nothing about mixed reality headsets. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Craig Federighi said to a reporter’s question a year ago. Nobody knows anything, absolutely nothing. It’s funny. Or maybe they know?
We know everything and deep down we know nothing
If there’s anything called PR that Apple stands out in, it’s marketing. They are the example to follow in all the universities of the world. There is not a single school of communication in which one of its commercials has not been shown, a textbook in which one of its launches is not mentioned, or a PowerPoint presentation in which its name is not mention.
However, marketing is not just that. In fact, this is the least important part. What is really crucial is what happens behind the scenes. Apple’s great asset is not its announcements, nor its presentations, nor its launches, it’s to be able to condition consumers without their knowledge. It’s real marketing. The one who neither sees nor perceives himself, but who leaves a trace.
At Apple, they know that launching Reality Pro is an extremely risky move. It can go very well, but also very badly. This is what Americans call “high risk high reward”. Those of Cupertino do not like this probability. They don’t like to leave things to chance. This is how a society with more power and influence than any democracy in human history does not arise.
In Cupertino, they know that it must go well. They can’t afford to make a mistake, so they’ve created an environment around it all to make sure it works. Rumors and leaks are no accident. We know exactly what Apple wants us to knowas much as they act surprised whenever someone asks.
If we stop to think, what exactly do we know about Reality Pro? Some of its functions, but already. In fact, it is quite curious that they precisely fled when skepticism invaded the media. No one saw it clearly or understood the purpose of the product. Opinion pieces have been written calling it unnecessary, premature or both. And surprised. As the hype turned to disappointment, some features were leaked. “How convenient”, as the English would say.
We think we know what your design will be. However, all “renders” that have been published are from a drawing that appeared on the internet a few years ago and whose exact origin is not known. We all just took it for granted, but there’s no photo or video or anything. It’s all part of a sketch I could have done with my iPad if I had known how to draw.
What do we know? The bad. Curiously, we know its two bad points (the low battery life and the fact that it will be external), and also from various sources. Because? For the simple reason that the sooner these problems show up, the sooner people get used to itand the less will be the surprise on the day of the presentation.
It’s a masterstroke from the best marketing team in the world
If it had never been disclosed, all the media would be talking about it the day after its official announcement. It would get a lot of media attention, and would overshadow the good of the device. As we already know, and we have already talked about it, this will not be a novelty. You won’t attract readers and the media will cover you less. It will normalize.
If Apple has achieved anything with all of this, it’s attention. The reality is that WWDC is seen by developers, geeks, journalists, and casual fans on the loose. The average user is not used to seeing it. It’s very technical. He’s not interested in iOS 17, but iPhone 15, and he knows it won’t be released until September. However, thanks to this aura that has been created around Reality Pro, we will all see the event on june 5th. The world will watch. It’s real marketing.
It’s a masterstroke. Those of Cupertino have managed to find the perfect balance between the surprise factor and expectation. They caught everyone’s attention counting just enough for us to continue with a feeling of not knowing what awaits us on June 5th. Basically because deep down we don’t know, even though we’ve been led to believe it. When that day comes, the Reality Pro will see the light of day after so many years of work. Friends, say hello to the future and fasten your seatbelts, the turns are coming.
In Applesphere | Apple Reality Pro: everything we know about augmented and virtual reality glasses
