APPLE’S VISION PRO: WHAT IS SPATIAL COMPUTING? AND HOW WILL IT IMPACT OUR PRODUCTIVITY?

Apple has always challenged the status quo, changing the way we interact with digital content and devices. Their latest rendition of the Vision Pro – their spatial computing headset – and mixed reality (MR) experiences, comes with a raft of upgrades designed to enhance productivity, creativity and consumer delight. Let’s dissect what the new Apple Vision Pro devices offer to consumers, which are ready to revolutionise the mixed reality experience.

APPLE'S LEAP INTO ENHANCED MR FEATURES

The new version – visionOS 2 – comes with improved spatial capture, better hand-tracking and a series of ‘productivity-focused updates’. Indeed, Apple attention to the ways it can bridge the digital realm with the physical one is increasingly focusing on professional workflows.

BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY WITH VISION PRO

At the centre of this refresh are productivity upgrades intended to help people do their jobs, like integrating a physical mouse and enabling Magic Keyboard to work better in a virtualised environment. Coupled with other new customer features, Apple is banking on the fact that coming iterations will further refine these devices the next time they’re upgraded.

ADVANCING WITH ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY

Apple emphasises this attention to accessibility: a new Live Captions mode transcribes the audio content in real time, and a new Look to Dictate feature, now available in many Apple apps, especially when messaging, that is, communicating with others, also makes this feature availability. In other words, Apple is trying to make MR more accessible and easier to use. In the broader landscape of the design and development of MR, Apple’s focus on accessibility is a small part of a movement towards the democratisation of technology, in response to the techlash. The idea that technology should belong to everyone was present at the beginning of computing – it’s one of the principles behind the open-source culture. We wanted the internet to belong to everyone, and social media should do the same. Should it? The answer is yes … and no. In the age of social media, we are just as divided as we are connected. This is not a healthy situation to be in. So technology itself is not bad, but rather the power imbalances within it. It’s not the techlash that is to blame, but rather the power imbalances in the offline world.

THE MARVEL OF IMPROVED SPATIAL CAPTURE

The latest spatial recording improvements in the visionOS 2 update allow Vision Pro users to create 3D recordings that can be seen through any pair of Vision Pro devices or iOS gadgets, as well providing lovely new overlay effects to those watch-the-video-with-friends moments. Here, we see how Apple’s sphere provides for a unified experience across Apple devices, particularly in the overlap between the new iPhone 16 Pro gadget family and the Vision Pro headset, through the feature of spatial captures.

THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL INTERACTIONS AND AVATARS

Work-wise, Apple is only promising to increase individual productivity through the use of the Vision Pro. But, as it tries to sell the Vision Pro, it not only allows people to immerse themselves in a VE, but also facilitates how we share a VE with others through not only the updated Persona avatar but also the updated SharePlay functionality, transforming how we can collaborate and spend time with others in a shared VE. Digital meetings and parties could be made lively and fun through these clever upgrades.

OPTIMISING INPUT: THE POWER OF HAND AND EYE TRACKING

The absence of a controller is one of the most impactful features of the Vision Pro, through which eye and hand tracking can be utilised to create a truly immersive experience The new hand gestures that come with visionOS 2 reveal how Apple continues to polish and tune user interaction with MR spaces in order to make it as natural as possible.

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR VISION PRO

With Apple poised to ship yet another update before the end of 2024, the sky is the limit for the Vision Pro And with this first step towards accessibly priced MR hardware, and with rumours of a lower-priced MR headset that could ship as soon as 2025, Apple has shown that it is serious about bringing spatial computing to the masses. With the Vision Pro shipping globally, and with yet another version of the headset in development, Apple is sending a strong signal: it is in this race to lead the world in MR to stay.

THE ESSENCE OF APPLE

In the midst of all that new technology, Apple’s mission is still to bring the best of technology to the betterment of the human experience. Each update, each new product, promises and fulfils a new vision of technical possibility, a testament to true innovation and excellence.

One final observation: Apple’s Vision Pro updates also no longer shy away from hinting at the ongoing desire to see spatial computing become deeply rooted in everyday and working life. In this respect, Apple not only appears committed to bringing new expectations of immersive and captivating technologies into everyday work and recreation. By gradually colouring in the blank spaces on their canvas, Apple is also inviting us to ponder a world of limitless potential.