- The Apple Vision Pro has landed in the hands of the first reviewers
- It receives more or less positive reviews, but the criticism is relentless
- The device is large, heavy, has poor durability and, of course, an extreme price
Tonight, the first reviews of the Apple Vision Pro headset appeared on the Internet, which the American company has been offering for pre-sale since January 19 and will go on sale this Friday. Several journalists and influencers from the US, who had the opportunity to try the device first, released their evaluations to the world. How did it all turn out?
Vision Pro – heavy and large headset
In the US, which is the only market where the Vision Pro is available so far, there are about 10 reviews. Everyone agrees that the Vision Pro is a heavy machine. The weight around 600-650 grams is plenty to wear this device on your head all day.
It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the package includes an external battery, which Apple did not want to have inside the device. This may have reduced its weight, but it is still heavier than the competition from Meta, which offers a built-in battery. And last but not least, endurance is also a problem, because the Vision Pro can run for about 2-2.5 hours on the battery.
Displays and display quality
Content display quality in visionOS is a big topic. Although Apple has invested in maximum quality displays (11.5 million pixels per eye), the displayed content is degraded by raster and blurring on the sides. In addition, the edges of the viewing window are visible to the eye, so at times you feel as if you are looking through a telescope.
This phenomenon is best shown in the review The Verge. The review team designed several shots on the computer that simulate space blur, motion latency, and depth of field as if you were wearing Vision Pro. “Apple charges $3,499 for this product and claims it ‘perfectly simulates reality.’ But it is precisely in this that the excessive ambition of the manufacturer, which surpasses even the product itself, can be felt the most.” reports The Verge.
However, all agree that the real quality can be seen when you look, as it were, through Vision Pro. The sensors can film everything in front of the headset and thus simulate the view with your own eyes, as if you had nothing in sight at all. Then, on the contrary, the latency is very low and the image quality is excellent. Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal she even skied or cooked with glasses.
What is Vision Pro actually for?
This is the question that all reviewers try to figure out. Unfortunately, most of them agree that the visionOS system is still empty and the only thing you can really actively do with the Vision Pro is office work and watching movies.
But both have their catch. A MacBook and an external keyboard are ideal for your work, which can inflate your budget by several tens of thousands of crowns. Then again, there’s the crappy stamina, so you’ll have to sit close to an outlet anyway.
Watching movies with the Vision Pro is fun, and none of the testers complained of severe eye pain or dizziness. However, this is where the scythe hits a rock in the availability of apps. In the US market, it already has its visionOS application Apple TV+, Disney+ and Paramount+. Not the much more popular Netflix or YouTube.
Personas – Your terrifying alter ego
At the end of the summary of overseas reviews, we kept something that almost everyone complains about. If you want to make video calls with the headset, you need to create your own avatar. Just take the Vision Pro in your hand, point the sensors at yourself and perform a few scans.
However, the resulting quality of your virtual self is more reminiscent of the first generation of Midjourney images than a sophisticated moving avatar with a user’s face. It almost looks like the old familiar Memoji will do a better service in this regard. See for yourself.
Despite all the criticisms, Apple Vision Pro impressed the vast majority of reviewers as something new and largely unheard of – even though AR headsets have been around for quite a few years. The first reviews agree that as a de facto zero generation it is as expected. The biggest problem is probably the price, which greatly narrows the target group.
Author of the article
Jakub Fischer
Journalist, fan of modern technology, summer months and Asian food. I like Lynch movies, Pollock paintings, french house and Arsenal football club. In my spare time, I play PlayStation and go jogging.
2024-01-30 16:30:00
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