Apple stores across the United States are seeing lines on Friday with people waiting to buy the new $3,499 Vision Pro that went on sale at 8 a.m. ET.
Those waiting outside will receive one-on-one demonstrations with the device that features a single, thick band on the back of the head, which connects to a large, sleek screen that sits over the eyes.
Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived at Apple’s flagship store in Manhattan for the launch and greeted early birds queuing before the doors opened.
The Vision Pro is five times more expensive than its rival Meta Quest 3, but Apple sold out of pre-orders for the device on January 19 – 200,000 units were reserved.
While the headphones start at nearly $3,500, customers can purchase upgrades like storage and prescription inserts for $149.
The first Apple Vision Pro headphones were sold in the US on Friday
Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived at Apple’s flagship store in Manhattan this morning for the event and greeted early birds waiting in line before the doors opened.
The earbuds launched alongside the iPhone 15 family in September, which Cook praised as a device “that you look outwards and not into.”
“With Vision Pro, you’re no longer limited by a screen,” he said during last year’s event.
The headphones run VisionOS, which Apple touts as “the world’s first space operating system.”
Apple calls it “spatial computing” because it combines content with the space around you.
Those waiting outside Apple Stores received individual demos with the device.
Apple stores in the US are seeing lines around the building of people willing to buy the new $3,499 Vision Pro that went on sale Friday at 8 a.m. ET.
The device that features a single, thick band on the back of the head, which connects a large, sleek screen that sits above your eyes.
Spatial computing is a way of describing the intersection between the physical world around us and a virtual world manufactured by technology, while allowing humans and machines to harmoniously manipulate objects and spaces.
Performing these tasks often incorporates elements of augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence.
Cathy Hackl, a consultant who runs a startup working on applications for Vision Pro, said: “This is a pivotal moment,” Hackl said.
“Spatial computing will allow devices to understand the world in a way they have never been able to before.
“It’s going to change the interaction between humans and computers and eventually every interface, whether it’s a car or a watch, will become spatial computing devices.”
To accompany the “crunching moment,” Apple announced Thursday that there are more than 600 new apps designed specifically for Vision Pro.
Susan Prescott, vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations at Apple, said: “Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imagination of our developer community around the world and we are inspired by the variety of spatial experiences they have created for this exciting new platform.
Customers were delighted after purchasing the new Vision Pro at the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
Cook spoke with customers at the New York store that was packed with people hoping to try out the Vision Pro headphones.
To accompany the “crunching moment,” Apple announced Thursday that there are more than 600 new apps designed specifically for Vision Pro.
“With more than 600 new space experiences to explore in the new App Store, along with more than one million supported apps on iOS and iPadOS, users can discover a wide range of apps that push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Users can watch movies and TV shows with Vision Pro, which displays a large screen that plays content, and they can also play more than 100 Apple Arcade games on a screen as big as they want.
For work purposes, the headset can be used with a trackpad and keyboard to perform tasks that would use a traditional multi-screen computer.
Vision Pro can also play memories in your living room, like videos of your kids or a fun party you attended.
The Vision Pro is available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage, and the more storage, the higher the price.
A headset with the second storage option starts at $3,699 and $3,899 for 1TB.
Apple also released a travel case for $199 and a battery holder for $49.95.
The stand can be useful because the device must be plugged into a power source to operate.
But users will get two hours of gaming on a single charge.
Users can watch movies and TV shows with Vision Pro, which displays a large screen that plays content, and they can also play more than 100 Apple Arcade games on a screen as big as they want.
The New York City store was packed with people on Friday.
The front screen is formed from laminated glass, which flows into the custom aluminum alloy frame that curves smoothly around the user’s face.
“Flexible straps ensure audio stays close to the user’s ears, while a headband, available in multiple sizes, is three-dimensionally woven as a single piece to provide cushioning, breathability, and elasticity,” according to Apple.
“The band is secured with a simple mechanism, making it easy to change to another size or style of band.”
There’s also a digital crown, similar to the Apple Watch, on the side that monitors how present or immersed users are in an environment.
Apple’s headphones also react to the user’s movements through hand and eye gestures in an attempt to make the device seem like another piece of human physiology.
While wearing the headset, users will also be able to use just their hands to lift and arrange a series of virtual computer screens, similar to a scene featuring Tom Cruise in the 2002 film, ‘Minority Report.’
This is possible through the new Optic ID, a secure authentication system that analyzes a user’s iris under multiple exposures to invisible LED lights and then compares it with the Optic ID data registered and protected by Secure Enclave to unlock Apple Vision Pro Instantly.
Apple touted that its headphones feature “industry-leading privacy and security” to allow users to stay in control of their data.
But Vision Pro could expose another disturbing side of the technology if its use of spatial computing is so compelling that people start to see the world differently when they don’t wear headphones and start to believe that life is much more interesting when they do. through the glasses.
That scenario could worsen screen addictions that have become endemic since the iPhone’s debut and deepen the isolation that digital dependency tends to cultivate.