this is the long awaited Apple Vision Pro

After years of waiting, Apple has announced the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023. We put everything together for you about Apple’s first VR glasses.

Apple presents Vision Pro at WWDC

Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro tonight at WWDC 2023. This is Apple’s first new device since the introduction of the Apple Watch in 2014. The company’s first mixed reality headset is incredibly advanced and runs on the new visionOS. This new OS version has been specially developed for the headset and has modified versions of apps such as FaceTime and Photos.

The Apple Vision Pro will be released next year and will then be on sale for a price of $ 3499. As a result, these are not glasses for the general public, according to Apple, the Apple Vision Pro is mainly intended for companies. Are you curious about what you can do with Apple’s first VR glasses? Read on quickly, or start with the video below!

Design: This is what the Apple Vision Pro looks like

The design of the Apple Vision Pro is somewhat similar to ski goggles due to the curved design. When putting on the glasses, your eyes are completely shielded from the outside world, so that you are not bothered by light when you wear the glasses. This LightSeal is available in different sizes, so that it fits well around your head. What is striking about the glasses is that your eyes remain visible when you wear the Apple Vision Pro, by Apple Eye Vision named.

The housing of the Apple Vision Pro is made of aluminum, so that the weight of the glasses is kept as low as possible. To keep the weight of the glasses themselves as low as possible, Apple has also opted for an external battery. You can hang this around your hip, so that the weight is not hung on your head when you wear the glasses. With the external battery, the glasses last up to a day, without the battery you can use the glasses for two hours.

Headset runs on new R1 chip

The Apple Vision Pro runs on the M2 chip, which makes the glasses very quiet. The M2 chip ensures that the VR glasses work very smoothly and quickly. This allows the glasses to handle the most demanding programs and games without stuttering.

In addition, a new chip has been introduced for the VR glasses: the R1 chip. This processor processes all data from the environment, which is recognized by the glasses through the microphones and cameras. The R1 chip ensures that the Apple Vision Pro works well with your environment.

Apple Vision Pro has a huge amount of cameras

Another striking aspect of the design: the Apple Vision Pro has a huge number of cameras. These are intended to be able to properly analyze the environment. The glasses have no less than twelve cameras, which have different functions. The lenses on the front and outside of the goggles are mainly for scanning the room and for a smooth transition from VR to AR.

The cameras on the inside of the goggles can recognize the wearer’s facial expressions. For example, these expressions can soon be transferred to your digital avatar, so that virtual communication runs a lot more naturally. The cameras can also be used for gaming, so the Apple Vision Pro will recognize it when you look away while playing a scary game.

Very high quality screens

The Apple Vision Pro has two 4K micro-LED screens: one screen for each eye. The big advantage of micro-LED is that the image quality does not deteriorate, so that the screens last much longer. To save battery, the image quality is only optimized in the places where you look directly at the image.

The two 4K screens together have no less than 23 million pixels. This makes the image very sharp and bright. The screens of the Vision Pro therefore have an extremely good image quality.

Control: via gestures and the Digital Crown

The control of Apple’s first VR glasses is mainly done through eye and hand gestures. The glasses recognize the point you are looking at, so you can, for example, open an app by simply looking at it. The VR glasses are also secured with Optic ID, a new security method that works with your eyes. The Apple Vision Pro will soon recognize your iris, so that the glasses will automatically unlock as soon as you wear them.

The control of the VR glasses is mainly done via hand gestures and Siri. You operate the Apple Vision Pro by giving the glasses a command with your voice or by making a hand movement. As a result, no external controllers are needed to play a game, for example.

In addition, the well-known Digital Crown is one of the buttons on the Vision Pro. The Digital Crown (Digital Crown) we already know from the Apple Watch, but it has a completely different function with the headset. With the Apple Vision Pro, the button is intended to switch between Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. You don’t have to take off the glasses to see the ‘real’ environment.

visionOS: completely new operating system

Apple has released a completely new operating system for the first time since the launch of watchOS. The Apple Vision Pro runs on visionOS. Updated versions of Apple’s apps have been processed in the operating system. For example, Safari, Photos, Mail, Pages, Keynote and FaceTime can be used with visionOS. Apple Arcade is also available for the Apple Vision Pro, so that the glasses can also be used to play (VR) games.

The apps are displayed as a large screen in the room you are in. You then determine how large this screen is. It is also your own choice whether you see the normal environment or set a certain image, so that it looks like you are in a completely different (virtual) space. It is also possible to open multiple screens side by side for multitasking.

Having virtual conversations plays an important role in visionOS. With the new version of FaceTime, a realistic face of the wearer can be shown in virtual reality. This makes digital communication through the glasses much more realistic and natural.

Apple Vision Pro works with other devices

With the Vision Pro it is possible to take over the screen from other Apple devices that you have. This gives you the option to display the screen of your MacBook in a large format as soon as you wear the Apple Vision Pro. You can also connect to other devices, such as the Magic Keyboard.

It is also possible to connect the AirPods to the VR glasses. With the spatial audio of the earphones, it really feels like you’re in the video or game. For example, the sound moves with the film sound, or you can hear exactly where someone is during a video call. The glasses themselves are equipped with two loudspeakers, one is placed at each ear. These speakers also have spatial audio.

That’s how much you pay for the Apple Vision Pro

Due to the advanced technology incorporated in the glasses, the Apple Vision Pro has a hefty price tag. The glasses retail for a whopping $3,499. This means that the mixed reality headset is mainly intended for companies. The glasses will appear next year at least in the United States. It is not yet known if and when the glasses will appear in the Netherlands.

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