WWDC 2023: Apple presents Vision Pro, mixed reality glasses | technology

It seems that Apple is touching some devices with a magic wand to turn them into mass devices. He has done so with iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), iPad (2010), and Apple Watch (2015). Now it remains to be seen if it succeeds with the first mixed reality glasses: the Apple Vision Pro. It costs $3,499 and will be available early next year in the US (the company has not provided data on availability elsewhere). The device, which was introduced Monday at Apple’s developer conference, aspires to stand up to other tech giants like Microsoft or Meta and change the way users work and entertain. “It’s the most ambitious device we’ve ever made,” the company said in the presentation. Meta Quest 3 is available from €569.99.

“This is a day I have been waiting for for years,” said Tim Cook. The CEO of Apple explained, “Augmented reality is a profound technology. Bringing together digital content with the real world can unlock experiences like never before. So today, I am excited to announce a brand new AR platform with a revolutionary new product.” He noted, Before showing a video of Apple Vision Pro glasses.

With these glasses, the digital content blends with the space around the user. The device, according to Apple, is controlled with both eyes and hands. “It really feels like magic, like your brain is directing the experience,” said one of the company’s employees.

The announcement comes just four days after Meta introduced its new Meta Quest 3 mixed reality glasses. That Apple was eyeing its debut in the segment is an open secret that has been rumored for years. Mixed reality is a technology that combines elements of virtual and augmented reality to create an immersive experience in which interactive virtual objects are superimposed and integrated into the real environment.

They can be used, according to the company, to display photos and videos in a “new and charming” way. Also for making FaceTime video calls, which many heads up floating in the space. In order for the user to participate in video calls while wearing glasses, the system scans his face and creates a kind of digital avatar that looks completely realistic a priori. This way, Apple ensures a natural representation that matches your facial movements.

It is also designed to provide an immersive movie viewing experience by ‘turning any room into your own personal movie theater. This environment allows you to fully focus on the movie and is designed to provide you with a great visual experience that you can take anywhere, like on an airplane.

“Apple Vision Pro will change the way we collaborate, work and entertain,” Cook said. The glasses include an M2 chip, as well as a coprocessor called R1.

Apple claims that it studied thousands of heads to design these glasses, and they are equipped with multiple cameras and sensors. The device has a photo button and speakers on either side of it and is connected to a battery that you have to carry around in your pocket. The Cupertino company says that the user can enjoy spatial audio while staying connected to their surroundings.

The glasses will have their own app store with apps designed for them. Apple guarantees that some of them such as Excel, Word, Teams, Zooms or Webex will be compatible with this device.

influence on the market

With these glasses, Apple intends to usher in a “new era”. But the big unknown now is whether it will work its magic so that these glasses become a mass product. Apple does not appear to have a file the killer app – A specific application or function that is so innovative, useful, or popular that it is able to arouse interest in a large number of users and favor mass adoption of their glasses.

Without this groundbreaking application, you may find it difficult to justify an exorbitant price tag for glasses and enhance their daily use. Mark Gorman, the perfect informant of everything Apple’s backroom cooks up, considers it likely that the first model of these glasses “will be a flop in terms of unit sales.” However, he predicts that the company “could become the market leader in a matter of quarters.” “While it may take three to five years for a headset to become a hit, it’s hard to bet on the company’s marketing, engineering and sales prowess. If anyone can make this product category a success, it’s Apple.”

A few hours before the event, speculation about the impact of these glasses on the market caused Apple to reach an all-time high in market capitalization in the last 17 months and was about to cross its own barrier of $3,000 million in the stock market. .. At the beginning of last year, it became the only company to reach this number, but after announcing that the glasses would cost $ 3,499, the movement decreased by 1.57% and lost part of what was achieved hours ago.

Other products

“WWDC is always one of my favorite times of the year, and this will be the best one ever!” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Twitter two hours before the conference began. The event kicked off with him in front of a rainbow at Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, explaining that the company will be making “some of its biggest announcements at WWDC. We’ll be talking about the future of our amazing software platforms and introducing some exciting new products.”

What’s new in Mac

The first device presented at the event was the 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple’s goal with this laptop is to offer a large screen to users who don’t want to opt for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The device includes an M2 chip and is theoretically 12 times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air. It has a battery that provides an autonomy of 18 hours and its price starts at 1299 euros.

Apple also introduced the 2023 Mac Pro, a computer that debuted a new processor called the M2 Ultra. This is the first major Mac Pro update in four years. According to the company, the new machine is three times faster than Intel-powered Macs in many real-world functions. Its price starts at $6,999.

Software changes

Apple took advantage of the event to announce news of its new iPhone operating system: iOS 17. “We have a powerful new feature to help you make an informed decision about when to answer an incoming call,” explained an Apple employee. The company introduced Direct Voicemail, a voicemail that transcribes the message another person leaves for you when they call you in real time: “Imagine you get a phone call while you’re in a meeting and you want to know if it’s urgent or if they can wait. You’ll see the mail.” Voicemail directly on your screen for you to decide whether to exit and answer the call or not.

Among the novelties of iOS 17, it also highlights the automatic transcription of voice messages and the ability to leave a video message for someone else on FaceTime if you do not answer the call. Another interesting function is called Check In and it is used to send a notification to family and friends when you have safely arrived home. Apple is also looking for ways to make it easier to share contacts with NameDrop. It will be enough to bring the mobile phone close to another person to share the number or email via AirDrop. And one more novelty: it will no longer be necessary to say “Hi” to “Hey Siri” to activate the assistant.

Some of these new features, such as automatic transcription of Voice Memos, will be available on iPad OS 17. Apple also announced some updates for widget And more lock screen customization. These interactions with widget It will make the home screen more powerful,” the company assures. Plus, you can now embed PDFs in the Notes app and take notes with the Apple Pencil. Apple also announced that the iPad will detect empty fields in a PDF and suggest how to fill them in.

The new operating system for Apple computers is called macOS Sonoma. With that said, it is theoretically possible to add files widget that are installed on the iPhone. Apple also wants to improve the experience of those who make video calls. To do this, provide an effect that allows the interlocutor to place it in the foreground, in front of the presentation or computer screen (when sharing it).

airpods

One of the main novelties of the Airpods, Apple’s famous headphones, is Adaptive Audio, which supposedly adapts to the conditions to cancel out annoying noises, but let the sound that could be useful to the user play. For example, a car horn. This new feature can also be useful during calls by reducing background noise and prioritizing voices, according to Apple.

Watch OS 10

With watchOS 10, the new operating system for Apple watches, the way you interact with your device changes slightly. Now, from any watch face, you can simply rotate the Digital Crown to display it differently widget“, says one of the company’s employees. For example, by rotating the crown it is possible to “quickly access the weather forecast, read the headlines or see if there are upcoming meetings.”

For those who love hiking, the tech giant has introduced a new function that shows the last location covered. The idea is that they can go back to that place and make an emergency call if they need to. The new operating system also provides news for tennis players or golfers. The watch can now record wrist movement data.

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