Buy Apple Vision Pro in Hawaii “Spatial computing” coming to light[Munchika Nishida’s future]- Impress Watch

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Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.I took the opportunity to come here.

I am writing this article on February 3rd (US Hawaii time). I came to Honolulu, Hawaii to purchase “Apple Vision Pro” (hereinafter referred to as Vision Pro).

Vision Pro actual machine obtained

I wrote about the process leading up to the reservation in this series, but in the end, I chose to pick it up at the Apple Store in Honolulu. Perhaps she had canceled her reservation, but since it became possible to pick it up on the release date, she decided to come “because it was such a great opportunity”.

Impressions using the actual device will be posted on AV Watch, so please take a look there. Since this is a unique experience for me, I would like to share with you how it was to receive the product at the site and what the product looked like.

Please note that for the time being, it will only be sold in the United States, and English is the only supported language. Currently, there are various issues when using it in Japan, so please be careful.

Surprisingly large amount of stock in stores

As with many new Apple products, initial demand for the Vision Pro is strong. As a result, most of the tickets were said to have been sold out.

But in reality, at least it was in stock in stores.

In my case, I picked it up at the Apple Store Ala Moana at Ala Moana Center in Waikiki, Hawaii, which is different from the store I had originally reserved it for pickup.

The “Vision Pro” logo will also be displayed at the Apple Store Ala Moana on the release date.

I covered the opening of the store in the morning, and first interviewed and checked on Mr. Atsushi Ishikawa, who was scheduled to pick up the item at the same store, and then was scheduled to pick it up at another store (Apple Store Kahala, about 30 minutes away by car). However, when I asked at the Ala Moana store, they said, “They have it in stock, so you can pick it up here.”

Therefore, we suddenly changed our plans, purchased new stock at the Ala Moana store, and canceled the original reservation. The flow was that you could reserve a demo at a store and then proceed to purchase if you wished.

This was also the case for those who had made reservations for in-store pickup. If the product is in stock at the store, the basic approach would be to purchase it after a fitting and demonstration. If delivered within the United States, you will receive it without any experience.

At the store, there will be chairs where you can sit with the store staff, and the fitting and demonstration will take place there. Although it is possible to skip the fitting and demo before purchasing, it seems like the basic idea is to purchase along with the demo.

Fittings and demonstrations were held in the store, and I was able to purchase items in store.

Vision Pro cannot be used with glasses, so soft contact lenses or insert lenses are required. Although you will need to prepare one or the other, stores also have equipment that allows you to easily select insert lenses, which glasses users can use. However, this is not intended for purchase, and seems to be just a simple version.

The demo will last about 20 to 30 minutes and will review the basics of Vision Pro. Personally, I wasn’t that surprised, as it was almost the same as what I experienced last June, but it seems to have come as quite a surprise to those experiencing it for the first time.

In addition to the main unit, this time I also purchased an Apple Vision Pro Travel Case. It’s expensive at $199, but it’s a very good product.

Genuine case “Apple Vision Pro Travel Case”

Hardware and OS that are supposed to be kept on your head

The product has a very good finish. It has a unique design and looks quite different from other HMDs. I think this is due to the fact that once the price of $3,500 (approximately 520,000 yen) was decided, they no longer tried to forcibly reduce the cost of various parts and sell in large quantities. People who are not familiar with technology at all may think that “HMD is just HMD. They’re all the same,” but from the perspective of the author, who is used to seeing HMDs, I get the impression that they are “surprisingly different.”

Close-up of Vision Pro body

This is because I feel that the design was designed to provide proper support but reduce the burden, rather than to attach it firmly to the head so that it does not shake.

Since it is a heavy device, you might think that you should tighten the band tightly and press it against your face so that it does not slip, but in reality it is not tightened that tightly. I’ve seen some reviews that say it feels constricting, but that’s probably because it’s too tight. It is better to wear it so that it is supported by the forehead rather than the cheekbones.

Adjustment dial.When you tighten it, the wire inside is pulled and shrinks, but if you tighten it too much, your face will hurt.

I think the best position for the Vision Pro is to put it on easily and put it on your head, and to lean back a little on the chair instead of stretching your neck straight.

The reason why I thought so much is because I definitely felt that this was a machine that I would use without removing it for as long as possible.

Traditional HMDs were often used for one specific function. Most of that will be gaming, maybe watching a movie, maybe even exercising. You may want to mirror your PC screen and use it on multiple displays.

Either way, it’s rare to keep on leaving it on after those operations are finished. This is different when the purpose is to just laze around in the space, such as when communicating on VR SNS, but most people will probably remove the HMD after they finish playing the game they were aiming for.

I think this is because many HMDs are Android-based and specialize in “using one app.” Meta and other companies are also updating their operating systems and looking for a way to “expand the way they can be used like a PC,” but so far nothing has gone well.

On the other hand, Vision Pro allows you to use multiple apps at the same time and use the space itself as an extension of the previous display. Therefore, I place windows wherever I want in the space and use them while referencing each other and copying and pasting things. Of course, there are things like movies and games that are meant to be enjoyed for their own sake, but the key is to treat them in parallel even when they are used in other ways.

Screen while using Vision Pro.The background is the author’s actual hotel room.

For example, let’s say you have a video conference. Let’s consider a common use case where you send a link to join a meeting via messenger, etc., and then communicate by showing your face while looking at the materials.

With conventional HMDs, this kind of usage is surprisingly restrictive and troublesome.

But with Vision Pro, it’s super easy. This is because it is almost the same as when operating on an iPad. The fact that the entire space can be used as a screen also means that it is easy to place various information and talk about it.

The reason why there is an avatar system called Persona that uses your face is so that you can go to a meeting while wearing the Vision Pro, rather than having to take off your HMD when going to a meeting.

Use Persona to attend meetings with your face as an avatar

To do this, you need to create a proper OS. The source of Vision OS is said to be iPadOS, and it is true that app operation on Vision Pro is similar to “using a tablet.” However, I felt that there was a lot of development for “spatial computing,” an area that operates under iPadOS, such as ways to utilize space and functions to understand the surrounding situation. Meta and others handle Android well and have improved functionality, but they have many hardware limitations (mainly due to cost) and are not able to do as much as Vision Pro.

Focusing on these points, how will Apple, which promotes “spatial computing,” continue to evolve in the future? This is where my current interest lies.