Missing Chrome on Apple Vision Pro: A Heavy User’s Perspective
As a heavy user of Google apps, the absence of Chrome on the Apple Vision Pro has been a significant drawback for me. While the user interface and experience of Safari on the Mac are tolerable, what I truly miss is the ability to access my Chrome tabs from other devices and the seamless autofill integration provided by Google Password Manager. Although the latter is available online, it requires manual copying and pasting, which is far from convenient. Additionally, not having my extensive collection of Chrome bookmarks has been a minor inconvenience, but I have managed to replicate my most important ones manually.
Despite the absence of Chrome, I have been able to access Google services through Safari on the Apple Vision Pro. The performance has been normal and desktop-class, which is a relief. YouTube Music, in particular, has been a great alternative to the main YouTube website, although the touch targets on the video player could be slightly larger for better usability.
One feature that I was particularly excited to try out on the Apple Vision Pro was the virtual keyboard. As someone who eagerly awaits touchscreen keyboards on laptops, I was hopeful that the virtual keyboard would provide a satisfactory typing experience. However, I found that typing with my forefingers was slow, and the faster virtual option of looking at each letter and then tapping with my thumb and forefinger was not ideal either. Fortunately, I discovered that I could use my Mac keyboard to type in visionOS apps, which proved to be a more efficient solution.
In terms of display quality, the Apple Vision Pro offers a high-resolution experience. However, the fidelity or how it reproduces the real world could be improved. The passthrough experience provided by Apple for augmented reality is not bright enough, resulting in dim and unappealing surroundings. This issue is especially noticeable in darker environments where additional lighting is required.
Another limitation I encountered while using the Apple Vision Pro was the difficulty in reading text on my Pixel 8 or Fold. While buttons were discernible, reading and typing messages became a challenge. In this regard, I found virtual reality mode to be a preferable option.
Despite these drawbacks, the physical boundaries of the screen were not a major hindrance. Although there was a binocular effect initially, it became less noticeable over time as I focused on the content.
In conclusion, while the absence of Chrome on the Apple Vision Pro has been a significant drawback for heavy users of Google apps like myself, there are alternative options available through Safari. The performance of Google services has been satisfactory, and the virtual keyboard, although not perfect, can be supplemented by using a Mac keyboard. The display quality could be improved for a more realistic experience, and reading text on certain devices remains a challenge. However, overall, the Apple Vision Pro offers a compelling spatial computing experience that is worth exploring.