Every zeitgeist has been privy to something monumental in the tech realm. The day Google Search came to life, The day online messaging transformed our relationships. The day we didn’t need words but in place, use emoticons to express ourselves. Now, another day for a new world has come, all with the arrival of Apple’s first spatial computer: the Vision Pro. A groundbreaking device that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.
Everything that you thought would be a chimera, is now a limitless reality. I say limitless, because this is just the beginning of Vision OS, the almighty operating system powering the device. Upon first hold, the device feels hefty. But as I slide the wearable on, the weight balances out snugly on my head—with a comfortable wide knit strap that is easily fitted on and adjustable via a turn of a knob on the side.
10pm: It’s time for a set-up. I’m in my bedroom peering into a screen, as words and functions fan out over my dresser. Navigating is a breeze and intuitive; the device first logs in my hands and eyes with some simple exercises—the two primaries of how one uses the Vision Pro. Soon, a home screen comes to view, comprising familiar icons like Mail, Safari and Photos. Each of them, so satisfyingly crisp, as if I have 20/20 vision. For anyone who’s seen Iron Man, you’ll feel alot like Tony Stark in his suit. On top of custom Apple Silicon in a dual-chip, Apple achieves this by using micro-OLED technology, which packs 23 million pixels into two displays. Additionally, this is enabled by custom catadioptric lenses that enable incredible sharpness and clarity.
8am: First things first, I’m eager to set up my Persona, essentially your avatar for FaceTime calls on the Vision Pro. Here, Apple’s most advanced machine learning techniques come to play, creating a digital version of yourself by simply scanning your face, hands and several facial expressions. Preferably one that’s presentable so I make sure to put on a full face. After all, this Persona of mine will replace my groggy morning self especially for calls with my loved ones when I’m battling severe time difference.
9am: I start familiarising myself with the use and utility. Apps are easily narrowed in just by looking at them, while with a pinch of my fingers, I select and action them. Whenever I need to type, a virtual keyboard pops up and I can easily click on keys with my fingertips. But I can also activate the microphone to speak and dictate text, whilst asking Siri to open and close my apps. I can easily move my windows and tabs on top or at the bottom with the pinch of my fingers. It is here I realise the canvas on the Vision Pro is infinite—wider and bigger than any iMac out there.
11am: Time for a FaceTime call. And it’s one of those pinch me moments that I see two of my friends emerging out of thin air, on opposite ends of my dining table. In perfect formation, we have a conversation that is startlingly close to real life, from head movements, real-time facial expressions, hand gestures and voices that resound clear as day. Thanks to Spatial Audio, voices are accurately transmitted as if they are speaking right from where they are positioned. Through this call, we can share our respective screens, view photos together and even stream a movie.
12pm: It’s time for fun. Enough fun that I can skip lunch to play games on the Vision Pro. In Super Fruit Ninja, I watch, mouth agape as a life-sized eldery man and his pet pig make a colourful mess in my office. I’m instructed to slice and dice fruits while avoiding bombs along the way. Through Vision Pro, I’ve gone from spectator to being an actual part of the game. This is all thanks to Spatial Computing, where titles can be created and designed for gamers to be immersed yet still present in one’s natural environment.
3pm: At my office desk, I splay out all my tabs—from Youtube to Safari to Notes, whilst being careful not to block my colleague sitting opposite so I have my screens moved on top of her head. If I can’t afford to be distracted to complete a pressing task, I can have the screens cover my view of the physical realm. And if I really wish to be fully isolated in a crowded office, I can activate Environments. Featuring scenic landscapes like the Moon or a famed tourist attraction, I can control how immersive the Environment is with just a twist of my digital crown on top of my device. There’s even subtle background sounds that come with each of them. For better efficiency, I connect a Magic Keyboard to my Vision Pro.
8pm: Like a sensible person, I cancel all my after-work plans to stay in with my Vision Pro. I pull up a Spatial Video that I took earlier at work. The Vision Pro holds Apple’s first three-dimensional camera, which captures a Panorama frame that expands and wraps around the user. In the video, I relive the clumsy moment where my colleague Chandreyee attempts to remove a stain from her T-shirt. Replaying it puts me back right where it was taken, which only bodes exciting things when you think about how many precious memories one can chock up from travelling with the Vision Pro.
10pm: I’m on the moon, literally and figuratively, when I’m actually lying on my bed streaming episode 2 of House of the Dragon. The environments are a great function to escape, effectively transforming my humble room into a huge, immersive home theatre. What’s integral is the advanced Spatial Audio system, stemmed from two individually amplified drivers inside each audio pod situated around your ears. Based on every user’s distinct head and ear geometry, the audio seamlessly surrounds you, whilst simultaneously reacting to the world around you.
It’s been a swell 24 hours. I feel like I’ve somehow gained a superpower ability overnight and I’m fighting sleep to get lost in Apple Arcade. It’s only been a day and I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this revolutionary piece of tech can achieve. Yet, I know this overly-stimulated, astounding feeling will pass. Soon, perhaps a year from now, this will be the norm. A mind-boggling realisation, given that everything feels extraterrestrial right now. But in time, people will converse in Vision Pro speak. Movie dates in the midst of Joshua National Park will be a thing. Customisable straps and colours for your own device will be the next fashion statement.
As for now? Whether you’re a developer, business owner, creator or any average user like myself, the possibilities and opportunities seem infinite with the arrival of this handy wearable.
The Apple Vision Pro will be available from 28 June. Pre-order it here.
