American tech company, Apple, recently announced its new augmented reality / virtual reality (AR/VR) headset, Apple Vision Pro, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
With a whopping $3,499 (N2.6 million) price tag, the headset was described as having several exciting features including an extremely immersive entertainment experience for gaming and watching movies; Apple’s first 3D camera which allows users to capture spatial photos and videos in 3D; life size FaceTime videos, and a host of others.
It will arrive early next year in the US first before it becomes available in other countries.
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Other new products and features announced by Apple during the event include; a 15-inch MacBook Air, iOS 17 for iPhones, iPadOS 17, and FaceTime for AppleTV, among others.
Here are five things to know about the soon-to-launch headsets:
1. It can switch from AR to VR- It blends digital content with your physical space. While scrolling through or using certain apps, the headset will display your eyes with a system called EyeSight, however when fully in VR mode, for example watching a movie or playing a video game, the screen will obscure your eyes, making it clear that you are unavailable.
2. It does not come with a controller, unlike other VR headsets- This is one major difference between Apple’s headset and its major competitor Meta. Meta’s headsets come with two handheld controllers meanwhile with the Vision Pro, navigation is done simply with your hands, eyes, or your voice. Users can browse through different apps by simply looking at them, then selecting them by tapping or by issuing voice commands.
3. It comes with a new Operating System, Vision OS- The headset comes with a brand new Apple operating system, the Vision OS. It is the Vision OS that allows the use of eyes, hands, and voice commands in controlling interactions and app use while using the headset. The new OS still supports most of the normal iPhone apps.
4. It supports Bluetooth accessories- For users who would rather not use voice commands or the other control options, the headset connects to Bluetooth accessories such as Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, which usually come with Mac desktops. Users can also connect their desktops to use inside the headset.
5. It features an external battery that lasts up to two hours, or it can be plugged into an external power source to last as long as the user wants.