Nicolle Generaux | Editor-in-Chief
February 8, 2024
Apple has released yet another groundbreaking, futuristic piece of technology this past week: the Apple Vision Pro. This headset (which resembles large goggles) has pushed the limits of virtual reality, now ascending into an era of augmented reality. Information and global resources have surpassed being available at the tips of one’s fingers, as they can now be accessed simply from the look of one’s eyes.
“I would love to get Apple’s new technology, it seems so convenient to have,” said junior Coco Bush. “You would barely have to lift a finger in order to get something done.”
Much like Tony Stark’s E.D.I.T.H. –his tactical intelligence glasses– from the Marvel Universe, the Apple Vision Pro “seamlessly blends digital content with your physical space,” as stated by Apple. Once put on, apps like Apple Music, Safari, and Photos will appear in front of one’s face, floating in midair wherever one is looking. To control where to go, one merely needs to look at an app, pinch/touch together one’s pointer finger and thumb, and the app will open. The “Hey, Siri” is also an option for navigating the Apple Vision Pro.
Using the look-and-pinch method, the screen that appears when one opens an app can be scaled to be larger or smaller, as well as be dragged to different regions of one’s vision so other apps/tabs can be opened and moved. Other Bluetooth accessories allow one to have sound or “Spatial audio,” bring 3D objects to life, and have a Magic Keyboard to type with. With these features, the Apple Vision Pro is being advertised as a potential alternative to computers, as opening multiple tabs at once to work can be made easy. With a glance, one can go from typing out an iMessage to browsing the web to FaceTim-ing with others to even constructing a 3D version of a building.
Besides its functionality as a work tool, the Apple Vision Pro can transform into an instrument of entertainment like nothing before. One can open movies or videos and enlarge the screen, creating a more immersive movie-theater experience. In addition, a new app called Environments presents landscapes that fill up one’s entire vision, essentially generating a 3D, real-life perspective of any one of the available surroundings. This particular component of the Apple Vision Pro can also be used with videos and panoramas taken by the headset or by spatial videos with the iPhone 15 Pro.
Although, not everyone is thrilled with this new technology– some question the practicality of the headset and express their worries about how it will affect the already growing problem of children and adults having too much screen time.
“I get the idea that it is smaller, cheaper, and more convenient, but you can just do the same things on a computer or even just your phone,” commented senior Jadon Lawrence. “People already have concerns about spending too much time online on our phones and computers, so this doesn’t seem like a solution to that problem.”
There is no denying that this technology may very well be the new revolutionary bit of equipment, following in the footsteps of first televisions, then computers, and finally iPhones. However, that may take some time— at the moment its starting price is around $3,500. So until that number drops, most will have to experience the Apple Vision Pro’s abilities in Apple Stores.
Leave a Reply