They are already among us. Or, at least, we already know that they are not in the hands of a few thousand users: the Apple Vision Pro sold out in seconds. This has been seen and not seen. Any criticisms about the price or the limited possibilities were overshadowed by an overview in which Tim Cook simply released a new video of its making and production and that’s it.. Of course, the Vision Pro is already a reality that many will be able to touch in a few hours.
However, the day is darkened by a bittersweet note: among the many compatible applications, no trace of Spotify – there is Apple Music, it is obvious – which has opened a debate: is it a question of lack of success? Are you expecting to measure Apple’s viewer popularity or is it behind a deeper problem, grudges from a previous battle?
“Expensive, heavy and not very exciting”
The price. Possible rival to the Apple Vision Pro, the Varjo present in the outgoing Vision Pro—. Yes, AppleCare+ for Apple Vision Pro costs $499, but we’re talking comprehensive coverage for a new prescription product for less than a third of the suggested price.
And that $199 for a case? Yes, but you know: much cheaper models and versions are going to come out, you choose the type of case with which you protect your Vision Pro, that’s why they are an optional accessory. And, anyway, we still have hope in these Vision Ones or simply in the much cheaper Apple Glasses.
Click on the image to access the tweet
The critics. “They are heavy”, to the point of being “not at all comfortable” and giving “a headache”. This is not wrong and even more so after the first use test. We are talking about a device weighing 600 grams, 650 with the strap, most of the time. But also We are talking about a pilot model, where miniaturization is done by iteration. The average weight of a motorcycle helmet is 1.2 kg. And the Apple Vision Pro are not glasses, but a visor with protection. It’s not for nothing that the device’s battery is located externally, to ensure the lowest viable mass for the entire assembly.
“The wow effect disappears quickly.” Obviously, the eye gets used to this dynamic within a few minutes. Try playing a video game in 1080p then 4K or watching a movie in 4K resolution then 8K: in a few seconds you “forget” the difference and the scale you use to perceive these changes becomes occupied by this constant flow of usability.
Click on the image to access the tweet
And this is where Apple has put the most effort into ensuring an organic experience, a fluid transition from reality to augmentedincreasing pixel density like never before in a viewer (23 million, let’s not forget) a wide interpupillary distance range (from 51 to 75 mm), using the most advanced processors to monitor offset compensation and, by Therefore, reduce to a minimum possible the motion sickness that some users may suffer from.
Is it a “glorified development tool”? This is the first stone of a great industry in the making which Apple is entering as always, step by step. The first iPhone arrived marred by bad reviews due to its exclusivity with AT&T, which reduced its market at the cost of not working with other teleoperators. It was also criticized that the price, $499 for a device with only 4 GB of storage, was unrealistic.
This model was quickly abandoned and, In exchange, its place was taken by a 16 GB with hundreds of small improvements on the operating system, Phone OS, for the same price.
Without Netflix, without YouTube and now without Spotify
Why hasn’t Spotify provided a dedicated application for the Vision Pro? The answer, once again, it’s in the money. Or its absence, due to lack of income. Because Spotify does not see profitability in working on a dedicated player according to Apple’s rules, as they stated:
“Its latest ruling in the United States – imposing a 27% fee for transactions made outside of an app on a developer’s website – is exorbitant and flies in the face of the court’s efforts to allow more greater competition and greater user choice.
As for Netflix, it should be remembered that for the same reason, it has never developed an application for Apple desktops or laptops. And the same with YouTube, which prefers to continue to be used from the browser version in these types of scenarios. You just need to remember the point of no return in the battle with Epic Games. It is only a matter of time before the European Commission takes a turn in one direction or the other. thus conditioning Apple’s status in the digital applications market. For now, sideloading in iOS 17 is about to come to millions of iPhones and iPads.
What must be clear is that after each launch, after each earthquake, the following aftershocks will occur. Just because apps as ubiquitous as YouTube don’t have a native option on the Vision Pro doesn’t mean it can’t be used or won’t launch soon. It can be used from the browser version and that’s it. VisionOS is a new operating system, after all, and If there is one precaution to take, it is to give an opinion.
In Applesfera | 12 unknowns we still have about the Apple Vision Pro just weeks after its launch
In Applesfera | Apple visionOS: all the features of the Vision Pro mixed reality glasses operating system
