OpenAI chief Sam Altman has termed Apple’s new Vision Pro as the “second most impressive tech since the iPhone.” It is unclear at the moment whether he tried the headset personally or not but nonetheless, it is a big praise for Cupertino’s debut ‘spatial computing’ headset which has got the whole tech industry talking about it. Altman took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a few words about the Vision Pro that recently went to sales in select regions.
Altman in his tweet wrote, “Vision Pro is second most impressive tech since the iPhone.”
vision pro is second most impressive tech since the iphone
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 9, 2024
The headset combines elements of virtual and augmented reality, collectively referred to as mixed reality, and is increasingly viewed as Apple’s potential flagship product for a future beyond the iPhone. However, the high cost may pose a barrier to widespread adoption. Therefore, attention will be focused on subsequent generations to observe how Apple plans to scale and broaden accessibility, making it available to a more extensive user base.
Road Ahead
Support from developers is essential as well. One positive aspect of the Vision Pro is that its operating system, visionOS, inherently supports iPad apps. Notably, major brands such as Disney have partnered with Apple to introduce exclusive apps and content, aiming to fully harness the remarkable technology. However, there are instances, such as with Netflix and Spotify, where separate apps are not in the pipeline, requiring users to rely on browsers for streaming. YouTube, despite earlier speculations, has recently joined the platform.
The Vision Pro undeniably holds immense potential, despite grappling with challenges such as limited battery life (with Apple’s workaround for the headset’s power source not being the most elegant solution). The revolutionary display, featuring two screens (one for each eye, totalling 23 million pixels), alone is compelling enough to attract many users, even though it contributes to the overall production cost. With two Apple-made processors (M2 and R1), along with a notable 12 cameras and LiDAR for tracking, the somewhat modular design serves as a significant selling point, although there is room for improvement in terms of reducing weight in the next generation.