Apple Vision Pro review roundup: an experience that weighs on you

Posted:
in Apple Vision Pro edited January 30

Initial reviews are in about Apple Vision Pro, and while everyone agrees it's a look at the future of Apple, it's not the most comfortable one.

Apple Vision Pro [Apple]
Apple Vision Pro [Apple]



Consensus about Apple Vision Pro is mostly unanimous, with everyone interested in the prospect of spatial computing but unable to pin down what the killer app might be. It has been deemed an interesting product, but one meant for developers or consumers with deep pockets -- not widespread appeal.

Very few people have been able to access Apple Vision Pro hardware since it was announced in June 2023. Questions quickly arose around the product's usefulness, the battery life, and whether it could be used for long shifts of work.

Apple Vision Pro went up for pre-order on January 19 and initial shipments and in-store availability begin on February 2. A lucky few have been able to try the headset ahead of its release, and we've gathered the initial impressions or full reviews from various popular publications and YouTube personalities.

AppleInsider will be conducting its own extensive review of the Apple Vision Pro, as well as an in-depth analysis of its various functions and features it offers at the launch of Apple's new computing platform.

The Verge



The Apple Vision Pro has the potential to be amazing, "and sometimes it is," starts Nilay Patel for The Verge, "but the Vision Pro also represents a series of really big trade-offs" that are "impossible to ignore."

These range from weight and the use of an external battery pack, to philosophical ones, such as whether it will be good enough to beat normal computing. "There is a long way to go before it can beat 'out here,'" he muses.

A "stunning" headset compared to other VR ones, the solo loop was found more comfortable, was "unquestionably cooler," and made less mess of a user's hair, but Patel also wished the mounting points were on the outside so that it could be pulled around the head and clipped instead of pulling over his hair.

The displays look "generally incredible -- sharp enough to read text on without even thinking about it, bright enough to do justice to movies." Meanwhile Apple's passthrough view "s an astonishing engineering achievement to do that in real time, at high resolution, in a computer that fits over your eyes. "

However, in his opinion, "This is the best anyone has ever made in there look, and it's still not nearly as good as out here."

Using it, "The first few times you use hand and eye tracking on the Vision Pro, it's awe-inspiring -- it feels like a superpower," that fades and "actively makes using the Vision Pro harder."

Summing up, the Vision Pro "astounding product. It's the sort of first-generation device only Apple can really make." However, he ultimately feels he wants to "get work done" in the Vision Pro," and its "isolating" experience doesn't help matters.

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CNET



"Living in the Vision Pro for the past week has been one of the most complex experiences of all," opens Scott Stein for CNET. "It's one of the hardest products I've ever had to evaluate. Parts of it are stunning. Others don't feel entirely finished."

The "best wearable display I've ever put on," Stein remarks "There are parts of the Vision Pro that feel like any other Apple device, and parts that decidedly do not." A lot of this stems from the connective hardware, including the bands and the "odd" battery situation.

"Apple's passthrough cameras are the best I've seen, with almost no distortion. There's a bit of blur and lag when I turn quickly from side to side, and the quality dips in low light, but it's good enough to see details in my room through."

"Even though Vision Pro doesn't do any room setup to map your room, as basically any other headset I've ever used has done, it still has room awareness. This shocks me. It's scanning and using depth mapping invisibly. "

In usage, "I've been trying the Vision Pro as my own computer and it feels like monitors all around me. Over to my left is a 3D golf game. To my right is a floating set of photos. I've paired a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. I can float a TV. I can ask Siri to start playing some music."

"It's great, except for when I find that the virtual display sometimes doesn't connect, or my display shows a connection problem and freezes up."

Summarizing his thoughts, he asks "Will the Vision Pro be the first step toward modern spatial computing in mixed reality as we know it from now on? Maybe." The eye and hand tracking is what makes it "seem futuristic," but it's still "not the final version."

While not everything Stein does on computers is available for the headset yet, "I imagine a future version of Vision Pro as something that could swallow them all up someday. Not today. "

Tom's Guide



Initially recounting some "WTF moments" in initial experiences from using the Apple Vision Pro, Mark Spoonauer of Tom's Guide insists the headset "is an incredible piece of technology, with eye and hand tracking interface that puts the competition to shame."

Even so, there are "some early bugs and some very weird things that come along with this revolution," such as the "freaky" Digital Persona. All included in the "most innovative product Apple has created in over a decade and a fascinating look at the future of computing and entertainment rolled into one very sleek package."

The heaviness of the headset is still a problem, as after 30 minutes, he said "I felt it weighing on my cheeks." After using it for several hours on and off, it wasn't uncomfortable to wear, but he did feel like "taking periodic breaks because of the heft."

The headset "feels revolutionary because of how easy it is to operate," thanks to its controller-free design. The quick acclimatization to the headset is helped by a simple calibration process of following a dot and selecting it, before being drawn to the home screen.

Selecting icons on the home screen is "immensely satisfying, relaxing, and easy to do." However, while eye-tracking is great and OpticID for security works well, it did occasionally fail during testing and required a quick PIN code entry on a floating keypad.

The floating keyboard is "not very satisfying," in part due to the lack of tactile feedback "even though you hear clicks as you type," and you're resorting to hunt-and-peck typing that slows typing down. "I do like that you can enter text with your voice," he adds, pointing out that a paired Bluetooth keyboard is better for mass text input.

Though people may easily "scoff" at the Apple Vision Pro because of its price, the reviewer argues "it's the most innovative Apple product since the original iPhone."

It's "unmatched" on the 3D video experience, with an "insane amount of ingenuity on display," but the app situation is "clearly still in the early stages." The price issue may be solved by the next generational release, with the battery and "unnerving" Personas are current-gen pain points.

Ultimately, the Vision Pro is "definitely revolutionary, but it's a revolution very much in progress."

CNBC



Heralding the "future of computing and entertainment, CNBC's Todd Haselton writes that "While it has some shortcomings, it's easily the most fun new product I've tried out in years."

"I'm only scratching the surface of the capabilities, but here's the gist: This is an entirely new type of computing, providing a whole new world of experiences. It feels like the future."

"Navigation is easy once you get the hang of it. This reminds me a bit of the iPhone moment, when Apple launched its multitouch display that changed how we interact with phones that had largely been navigated with a stylus, touchpad or keyboard. There aren't any controllers here.

While declaring "I'd buy the Vision Pro right now if I had an extra $3,500," he concludes that it's "Apple's most exciting product in years and it's the best example yet that this will become a new way of computing."



Read on AppleInsider

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    jidojido Posts: 128member
    Is that the real Apple TV that Jobs mentioned as Apple “finally cracked” the UI?
    williamlondonbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 34
    In 2007 I purchased and then returned the original iPhone for several reasons. First, there were only the Apple built-in apps and secondly, and more importantly, the Edge data serving from AT&T was too slow to be useful.  It wasn’t until 2008 when 3G data service and third-party apps were available that I purchased my first iPhone 3G. 

    This is first generation device which os still being worked on and is basically a public beta of the technology. If it was in the $1500 price range I might get one, but at $3500 + AppleCare + Zeiss Lenses it is out of reach for me. 

    gatorguywilliamlondondewmebyronl
  • Reply 3 of 34
    For me it's more comfortable than the Quest 3, Quest Pro and PSVR 2 that I have. Only accessory I have that beats that comfort wise is a Magic Leap, since their visor is especially light.

    Onboarding, interace, computing power, finally working amazing browser, and daily usage are way better than anything we see on the market today. The only downside to all that is the price, but I won't expect it to be much lower over the time, since the device itself has more cameras, displays, memory, and sensors than a decent modern Apple laptop.
    edited January 30 williamlondonforegoneconclusionronnAlex1Nbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 34
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    jayweiss said:
    In 2007 I purchased and then returned the original iPhone for several reasons. First, there were only the Apple built-in apps and secondly, and more importantly, the Edge data serving from AT&T was too slow to be useful.  It wasn’t until 2008 when 3G data service and third-party apps were available that I purchased my first iPhone 3G. 

    This is first generation device which is still being worked on and is basically a public beta of the technology. If it was in the $1500 price range I might get one, but at $3500 + AppleCare + Zeiss Lenses it is out of reach for me. 

    1) This already has an App Store and 3rd party apps

    2) All OSes, apps, and hardware in development are still being worked on. As we see every year, changes big or small would be construed by you and others as being “beta” since it’s the first time it’s the first time it’s being implemented. Do you think it’s fair to deem all 1st gen tech as beta? I don’t. Alpha, beta, and release candidate have specific meanings for a reason and I would hope that commenters on a tech forum would be more apt to use them.
    williamlondonronnAlex1Nbageljoeywatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 34
    “However, he ultimately feels he wants to "get work done" in the Vision Pro," and its "isolating" experience doesn't help matters.”

    People have been isolating themselves from others since the dawn of the smartphone. Everywhere you look people have their heads buried in their phones. No matter if it’s walking down the street, on the bus, train or library. People go out of their way to be less engaged with one another. 
    williamlondonronntyler82KierkegaardenForumPostAlex1Nkiltedgreenbyronlwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 6 of 34
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    “However, he ultimately feels he wants to "get work done" in the Vision Pro," and its "isolating" experience doesn't help matters.”

    People have been isolating themselves from others since the dawn of the smartphone. Everywhere you look people have their heads buried in their phones. No matter if it’s walking down the street, on the bus, train or library. People go out of their way to be less engaged with one another. 
    There are different mending to isolate and yours specific to the world around someone whilst using a connected device.


    When I want to get work done I like to isolate. That means not having my head in a device where I gen be distracted by friends, family, videos, news, etc.

    I’m not sure how AVP can help me focus more with increased isolation, but I’m all for finding out.
    williamlondonronnAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 34
    The reviews are kind of the mix we’ve anticipated. A great try from Apple. The best tech. The best actual headset. But it’s still a headset, warts and all. 
    muthuk_vanalingamronnAlex1Ndesignrbala1234byronljony0
  • Reply 8 of 34
    Finally people are starting to two
     talk about how uncomfortable this must be and how vital to the computing process that is.
    https://medium.com/macoclock/controversial-opinions-b8607020b171
    williamlondongrandact73ronn9secondkox2Alex1N
  • Reply 9 of 34
    This whole launch reminds me of the once-every-17-years rollout of new 3D movie tech. "This time, consumers will love it!" Sure....
    9secondkox2neoncatM68000williamlondondesignr
  • Reply 10 of 34
    I’m looking forward to 2039 when hopefully one of these shows up, unopened, at an auction. Maybe I should spend the $3500 just for that.
    Alex1Nbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 34
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    I’m looking forward to 2039 when hopefully one of these shows up, unopened, at an auction. Maybe I should spend the $3500 just for that.
    LOL I actually considered that, but I figure it’s safer and likely better to simply keep that $3500 + tax working for me in the market.
    Alex1Nbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 34
    I think the device had to be released this way — little compromises on the technology and bigger compromises on the form factor.  This is the baseline for the visual experience — now they can find out how the device is being used and then focus on reducing weight and cost based on the primary use cases.

    What if putting on the device was as simple as putting on a cap?  If the weight was reduced 10-20%, would this be enough?  Apple has a roadmap for this, but they need to find out how users are interacting with it.  Similar story with the Mac.  You could reject the technology for not being quite there, or you can embrace it and find the opportunities that are being seeded.
    ForumPostAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 34
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,683member
    Loving the real feedback from real experiences. Looking forward to many more.

    Hopefully someone will show us how it feels to use the VP for a task that's currently done using non-spatial computing techniques. Since my favorite app of all time is probably Microsoft Excel, seeing Excel done in a spatial environment (versus flat-earth?) would be very compelling. Bring 'em on.
    ronnAlex1Nmuthuk_vanalingambyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 34
    danoxdanox Posts: 3,296member
    You miss one.....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPw6ScHyb4 Brian Tong a practical review actually showing something.
    edited January 30 ForumPostforegoneconclusionronnAlex1Ndewmebyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 34
    dmitrek said:
    For me it's more comfortable than the Quest 3, Quest Pro and PSVR 2 that I have. Only accessory I have that beats that comfort wise is a Magic Leap, since their visor is especially light.
    Are you using the single strap or the dual strap? 
    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 34
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,267member
    haselton said it is like the iPhone launch. That has to be an exaggeration.  Nothing beats the iPhone Launch. That event changed the world.
    dewmeAlex1Nwilliamlondonbyronl
  • Reply 17 of 34
    wait a second, do I need an iPhone to set up this thing  :disappointed: 

    so, iPhone SE (cheaper model), vision pro,  apple care, spigen travel case (cheaper option) HOLLY CRAP, 
    edited January 30 williamlondondesignr
  • Reply 18 of 34
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,683member
    danox said:
    You miss one.....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPw6ScHyb4 Brian Tong a practical review actually showing something.
    Very impressive.
    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 34
    ronnronn Posts: 679member
    I was waiting for Daring Fireball's Gruber to weigh-in (emphasis mine):
    Spatial computing in VisionOS is the real deal. It’s a legit productivity computing platform right now, and it’s only going to get better. It sounds like hype, but I truly believe this is a landmark breakthrough like the 1984 Macintosh and the 2007 iPhone.

    But if you were to try just one thing using Vision Pro — just one thing — it has to be watching a movie in the TV app, in theater mode. Try that, and no matter how skeptical you were beforehand about the Vision Pro’s price tag, your hand will start inching toward your wallet.

    Earlier he wrote about spending $5K on a 77-inch TV. That's one of the analogies I used when talking about the possibility of buying VisionPro. I recall my hesitation about buying a flat-screen or HiDef TVs years ago. I thought my sis was insane to spend thousands on a 50+ inch TV I thought had fuzziness. Now so many buy huge TVs without hesitation. Alas, I'm still not sold on buying VP for myself... yet.

    byronlwatto_cobra
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