Test reports from the USA February 2, 2024 By Martin Eisenlauer Reading time: approx. 2 minutes
iPod, iPhone, iPad – and now Vision Pro? Apple promises nothing less than the beginning of the “spatial computing era” with its latest product, which will begin shipping in the United States on February 2nd.
Vision Pro is Apple’s latest baby – will it also create a revolution?
Photo: Apple
The times when Apple that could revolutionize consumer electronics are long gone. The AI revolution triggered by OpenAI is financed by Microsoft, the Internet is dominated by Google and exciting hardware innovations such as transparent televisions, foldable displays or smarter household appliances now often come from Korea or China.
The first reactions to the new Vision Pro computer glasses, whose sales have just begun in the USA, are all the more exciting.
What is that? Data glasses that are supposed to recognize gestures and movements of their user and at the same time conjure up a virtual display in front of their eyes. The user chooses whether he wants to completely immerse himself in a virtual world, similar to VR glasses, or whether the digital content should be overlaid on a camera image of the actual environment (augmented reality). The device costs a hefty $3,500 and the first test reports from US media suggest that the revolution is still a while away.
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Designed for sustained workloads under high performance, the Apple Vision Pro can run for two hours on a single charge.
Photo: Apple
This is what the testers say about the new Apple product
The testers praise the quality of both 4K-Displays, which can show the user very good 3D content. The control with gestures and eye movements also seems to work quite well. At the same time, there are also clear points of criticism. Next to the high price the testers complain about one Battery life of only about two and a half hours (even though the device is connected to a battery pack via cable), lack of support for important apps such as Netflix and the heavy weight of the device (the glasses alone weigh over 600 g).
They also miss an easy way to show content to other people Journalistswho have already tried out the Vision Pro. Ultimately, the biggest problem with the Vision Pro is that it lacks a real killer app.
The iPod made music mobile, the iPhone made the Internet and the iPad is still probably the best entertainment machine you can buy. But what does the Vision Pro bring? Nobody is waiting to finally see films in 3D. Hardly anyone would want a workstation that can only be used for two and a half hours. Zoom meetings in which you have to spend time in a narrow facial area while the other party has to look at a poorly made digital avatar also seem unappealing.
The Vision Pro cost $3500
The conclusion of most testers is very similar. Technically, the glasses are well implemented, but the overall concept still lacks valuable applications. Almost all experts find the device exciting – but no one can be persuaded to give a clear purchase recommendation for the $3,500 Vision Pro.
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Instead, the testers advise their readers and users to wait for the second generation of the device. When that will come is currently unclear. However, industry insiders such as the renowned analyst Kuo do not expect it until 2027 at the earliest.
For Germany, Apple has not yet given a launch date or a price for the Vision Pro. However, experts expect that the glasses will also be available in this country in 2024. Looking at Apple’s current dollar-to-euro conversion policy, the price is probably closer to around €4,000.