Tim Cook: Apple Vision Pro Is ‘Most Advanced’ Consumer Device ‘Ever’

‘Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created,’ says Apple CEO Tim Cook. Here are the top features, price and availability of Apple’s new headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed his company’s new Apple Vision Pro headset as the most advanced consumer device ever invented with bullish hopes of how it will revolutionize work and the world.

“Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created,” said Cook in a statement. “Its revolutionary and magical user interface will redefine how we connect, create and explore.”

Cook said Apple’s new headset is a revolutionary spatial computer that will transform how people collaborate, connect, work and watch entertainment. The Vision Pro can blend digital content with the physical world and provides spatial experiences in its visionOS that is controlled by a user’s eyes, hands and voice.

“The era of spatial computing has arrived,” Cook said.

The Apple Vision Pro price tag starts at $3,499 with 256 GB of storage and offers a 4K display for each eye. The device will become available on Feb. 2, 2024, at all U.S. Apple stores and on the company’s online store.

Apple’s new headset unveiling comes during CES 2024 in Las Vegas this week.

Apple Vision Pro Top Features

Users of the headset can switch between augmented reality and virtual reality using a dial on the side of the headset. Consumers can navigate the headset without a controller because of hand, head and eye tracking.

Apple said its headset is an ideal productivity tool for everyday tasks with productivity apps available such as Microsoft 365 and Slack. Apps appear side by side at any scale for multitasking, and with support for Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad users can create the perfect workspace, the company said.

New FaceTime capabilities on Apple Vision Pro take advantage of the space around the user so that everyone on a call appears life-size, while its Spatial Audio makes it sound like each person’s voice comes from the location of their tile.

Lastly, Apple Vision Pro also enables users to capture and relive memories. Users can capture spatial video on their iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max and relive them on Vision Pro. Users can also view all their photos and videos at a life-size scale, including Panoramas that expand and wrap around the user.

Apple Vision Pro New visionOS And Environments

Apple Vision Pro is powered by visionOS, featuring a brand-new three-dimensional user interface and input system controlled entirely by a user’s eyes, hands and voice. Intuitive gestures allow users to interact with apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using a virtual keyboard or dictation to type.

With Siri installed, users can quickly open or close apps, play media and more.

Users can also immerse themselves in Environments, such as at Yosemite National Park or the surface of the moon, to help them focus or reduce clutter in busy spaces.

“With Environments, a user’s world can grow beyond the dimensions of a physical room. With a twist of the Digital Crown, users can control how present or immersed they are in an environment,” Apple said in a blog post.

Apple Vision Pro Chips, Accessories And Apps

Apple Vision Pro is powered by a dual-chip setup with Apple’s own M2 chip and a new R1 chip, which is dedicated to processing data from built-in sensors, microphone and cameras. The M2 chip delivers powerful stand-alone performance, while the brand-new R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras, five sensors and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user’s eyes.

In terms of accessories that come with Apple Vision Pro, owners will get a solo knit band and dual loop band; a light seal and two light seal cushions; a cover; battery; polishing cloth; and a USB-C charging cable and USB-C power adapter. Along with the $3,499 headset, prescription lenses can be purchased for an extra $99.

More than 1 million applications across iOS and iPadOS are available on Apple Vision Pro and will automatically work with the new input system. Key accessibility features like VoiceOver, Zoom, Switch Control, Guided Access and more have been reimagined for spatial computing.

Apple is accepting preorders for Apple Vision Pro starting Jan. 19.