Kaela Sherron

The $3,499.00 headset, Apple Vision Pro, was released to the world on February 2nd, 2024. It was originally announced that Apple was working on this headset in June of 2023, and in January of 2024, Apple Newsroom announced the official release date.

This headset has created buzz in the technology world, but is it actually worth buying? The Apple Vision Pro is a headset that “seamlessly blends digital content with your physical space.” To put it simply, all of your apps will be life-like instead of simply on a screen while you will be able to simultaneously stay present in your surroundings. While this is a major breakthrough in technology, it seems to be getting mixed reviews.

A journalist from The Washington Post, Chris Velazco, wore the headset for two weeks and broke down his experience in different categories. Velazco was blunt in the first couple sentences of his article writing, “When you get into the groove, using the Vision Pro can feel thrilling. But when things don’t work out the way you expect– which in my case was pretty often — you may wonder why you didn’t just use the gadgets you already have.”

Since Velazco wore the Vision Pro for two weeks, he answered the most relevant questions: What is it like to wear the headset for hours? He stated that while the headset was comfortable, he had to adjust it often and he could only wear it for a certain number of hours before he needed a break. In addition, he wrote, “I never felt nauseous, and a collegue prone to motion sickness found the experiences surprisingly bearable–but she still started feeling uneasy after 45 minutes.”

One of the positives that Velazco mentions is the ability to use the Vision Pro for work purposes. Velazco defines that the Vision Pro “can be a portable, private office — just strap in, arrange your work apps, and get to it.” The Vision Pro can connect to nearby Apple products which can then be transported to the Vision Pro. In addition, watching movies becomes so much better on the Vision Pro rather than watching on a regular device.

On the other hand, Velazco mentions that using the Vision Pro around others can be awkward and socially uncomfortable. He explains, “the Vision Pro’s still-in-beta ‘Personas'” is a virtually powered human-like design that is a stand-in for FaceTime video calls or Zoom meetings. Velazco comments, “my traveling fiancee was happy to cut our nightly FaceTime calls short after seeing it.” Although, he mentioned that when he interacted with his friend who used the faux-face, it was unnerving at first, but as time progressed he became more comfortable with it. Velazco wrote, “You can, and probably will, get used to these things. The real question is how fast, and who may avoid you until they get used to it, too.”

In comparison, Nilay Patel from The Verge wrote an article that wasn’t as in favor of the new $3,499.00 headset. While he acknowledges that Apple did create a good product, he mentions its flaws. He writes, “The Vision Pro is Apple’s first attempt at building a computer out of all those ideas– a computer that works in the space around you.” He explains the use of the Vision Pro and how many apps and networks you can have that sit right alongside in Apple’s ecosystem of devices. Patel realized that while the Vision Pro was good, there were some questions about tradeoffs and if they were really worth it. Patel says, “Basically, I keep asking if I prefer using a computer in there rather than out here. And as interesting as the Vision Pro is, there’s a long way to go before it can beat out here.”

Patel goes in depth with each category of ways Apple can improve. One of the ways is control. Patel writes, “You have to look, make sure you’re looking at the thing you want, and then tap, or you might end up clicking on the wrong thing. Sometimes the fastest way to select what you want is looking away entirely and try again. It works until it doesn’t. It’s magic until it’s not.” Patel is saying that wanting to open or go to something in the Vision Pro can be difficult. He continues, “Think about it like this: The keyboard and mouse on a Mac directly control the Mac. The click wheel on an iPod directly controlled the iPod…Your eyes and hands aren’t directly controlling the Vision Pro: cameras are watching your eyes and hands and turning that into input, and sometimes interpretation isn’t perfect.”

Not only this, Patel critiques the software system of the Vision Pro, which is visionOS. Patel states that the visionOS is based on iPadOS, which was customized enough to make it work for spatial computing. Patel writes, “It’s funny to keep saying that the Vision Pro is an iPad for your face, but when it comes to the current set of apps, it’s also not totally wrong.” Like an iPad, some of the apps are filled with preloaded with a folder of “compatible apps” that is full of actual iPad apps.

Apple is one of the most well-known technology companies in the United States and for them to create and release a product like the Vision Pro is outstanding. Using this for work or to get things done without sitting at a desk is convenient. However, Steve Jobs originally created Apple so that customers could use their tech products in their everyday life. The question really becomes: is this product useful for everyday life without the necessity of work? Is it really worth investing in this product? It seems as though there are pros and cons to accumulating this device and it comes down to personal opinion.