There’s a general Danish design principle of purpose-driven innovation: technology should enrich our lives, not complicate them. It should be functional without being intrusive. Is this possible to achieve when you strap that technology right onto your face?
On July 12, Australia will enter the world of spatial computing with the general availability of Apple Vision Pro.
The release of visionOS 2 later this year also enables a new range of experiences on this platform, with a heavy focus on augmented reality, volumetric, and surface-based experiences. With new features for personal productivity, it also allows you to bring your entire Mac desktop environment into the virtual world. No longer are we bound to a flat piece of glass unlocking a wealth of opportunity.
By investing in spatial audio and video, apps with multiple windows, eye, hand and gesture tracking, Apple has crafted a device that takes the iOS and iPad app ecosystem far beyond traditional mobile devices. Users can blend digital content with the real world, and unlike similar devices, Vision Pro shows us that we do not have to choose between the two; they are much more impactful when combined.
This approach is quite different and enables new use cases that were not previously feasible or intuitive; particularly in training, design, entertainment, manufacturing and education, the Vision Pro can shine.
Imagine the potential within medical and surgical training, fire & rescue or building inspection. Vision Pro allows the wearer to overlay important information over what they see in the real world. With powerful object recognition and the capabilities of Apple Intelligence, this device can reshape how certain real-world problems are tackled.
The strength of Vision Pro starts with the real world and slowly introduces digital elements into it. First and foremost, it is a device that augments and brings the power of technology into your field of view. While you can consume content or playfully interact with digital objects in an incredibly immersive environment, you are not forced to be disconnected from the physical world.
Apple’s ecosystem is a major strength in popularising Vision Pro, as existing iPad apps will already run on Vision Pro with little to no changes required from developers. This ensures that the device has a vast catalogue of apps that are familiar and useful to us from day one on this new platform, avoiding a chicken-and-egg situation.
Vision Pro also provides an incredibly immersive experience for consuming media content, watching sports as if you’re in the stadium, or simply reliving your most precious memories. One of the first things I tried when putting on the Vision Pro was being shown a panorama photo. When you enable the fully immersive mode, within seconds, your brain is fooled into thinking you’re actually there. Combining the ultra-high resolution and realistic graphic models with the most natural input devices we have: our eyes, hands, and voice; the potential we can unlock in this environment is near limitless.
Apple does not create new technology just for the sake of novelty, we’ve seen this time and time again. Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer famously said that there was “no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share” because it lacked a physical keyboard. Today, the Apple Watch commands a 55% market share at a staggering $14-18 billion dollars of annual revenue. Apple has a history of launching products when the time is right. By crafting new hardware, software, and tools, developers can now imagine and easily bring to life ideas that were not before possible.
This is the real strength of Vision Pro; the product is not intended for any specific use case; rather, it is a platform where your ideas can be made and brought to life. Think about the critical moments in your existing app and life that would shine in a spatial context. Do you want to provide your employees with customised workspaces or specialised and hyper-realistic yet safe crime training? Are you an athlete looking to visualise and practice a course or route? A sports team trying to relive and learn from career-defining moments?
Spatial computing is here to stay, though what people find it useful for is deeply personal, and it is up to businesses and creative developers to imagine just how far we can go. I believe Vision Pro shines in education and collaboration, particularly for children or young adults. It fosters curiosity when you interact with virtual objects; you will want to touch and feel them in the real world. Vision Pro can be an incredible aid across all subjects, like science, arts, astronomy, and music, bringing digital content into the classroom in a creative, playful and highly interactive way.
I believe Vision Pro offers a unique platform to create innovative experiences. It makes us rethink how technology can help us in our lives while allowing the wearer to choose how immersive an experience they are seeking. Intentionally, Vision Pro can enable, enhance, and recreate, not replace real-world experiences and memories.
When looking at the Vision Pro we need to stop asking “what’s the killer app”, and start asking ourselves, what killer experience can I create? This device is not there to inspire you, it’s there for you to create; it’s a platform for you to express your creativity, a blank canvas of sorts. So grab your palette, your brushes, put on your painting smock and let's get down to business.
