Apple's Vision Pro Headset to Launch as Soon as January
Here's Why You Should Tune In. The soon-to-launch VR headset from Apple could be the biggest thing since the iPhone, offering apps-store level potential (and beyond) for entrepreneurs.
When Apple revealed its next big thing earlier this year--the Vision Pro augmented reality headset--the tech giant promised that the device would go on sale in early 2024. Now rumors are swirling that Apple is internally targeting January for the launch, just a few weeks away. Teams at Apple Stores are said to be training now to help consumers test out and purchase the headsets, which Apple has described as more of a "spatial computer" than a set of "goggles."
The device that could bring the long-talked about metaverse to a wider audience is nearly here. If your company is already planning to launch apps on the Vision Pro device this is definitely the time to shift gears. There's transformative potential here that could surpass changes wrought by the iPhone since its 2007 launch.
Until now the VR market has been small, with estimated revenues of around $32 billion in 2023--but it's now expected to grow at a rate of over 10 percent annually. If Apple's product succeeds, that growth could accelerate and could benefit all sorts of innovative new companies.
Even if embracing the challenges of developing for a new platform like this isn't for your small business, and it already runs apps for hand-held devices like phones or tablets, it might be still be smart to start thinking about how your services would work for VR users.
As an excellent example, popular app maker Readdle is adding "air gestures" to its Documents app--a way to interact with on-screen content on a user's phone without touching the device. The Folsom, California-based company explicitly said this move "parallels the direction seen in other innovative products like Apple Vision Pro." It's easy to see how a version of Readdle's documents would work via gesture control on the upcoming Apple headset--which, unlike existing smartphones or tablets, relies mostly on gesture-based controls.
Augmented and virtual reality systems offer experiences other devices simply can't. The list of these differences is endless, and it's also not all about making money by directly selling apps for Vision Pro or similar headsets.
These devices can impact existing companies in new ways. Consider totally inventive new games played in a mix of real-world and VR graphics, 3D "immersive" video or entertainment experiences, remote 3D video customer assistance to deal with a real-world hardware problem, new ways for business leaders to interact with teams in workplaces, or bringing remote workers into a digital workspace. There's also the possibility of using radically new marketing efforts.
If you're skeptical about the potential impact of Vision Pro, remember Apple's 2007 iPhone launch. The device was poo-poohed by experts and rival phone makers. Apple was a new entrant to a long established market defined by deeply entrenched manufacturers and phone network operators, and consumers were used to a particular phone design language. Then the iPhone arrived and it was radical: It didn't have a keypad or keyboard like most simple phones and the industry-leading smart device--the BlackBerry. It ran new-fangled sounding "apps." It was made by a company known for computers, it had a fragile-looking all-glass surface, and it cost a lot of money.
The rest is history.
Many then-dominant phone makers are long gone, and estimates say Apple has sold at least two billion iPhones. Apple has paid more than $320 billion to developers through its App Store, as of January this year (including apps for iPads and other devices, though the iPhone is Apple's most popular device.) Many of the thousands of developer companies are small and midsized businesses operating in a market that simply didn't exist before the iPhone.
While the Vision Pro is very expensive, at $3,500, it includes novel and unexpected tech, like its front-facing screen, which attempts to show how the wearer's face looks. Vision Pro is polarizing in the tech realm: Some critics say it's too costly, and too unusual and could fail, even as others tout its potential to transform entire markets--pointing to Meta's seemingly rushed Quest 3 launch as a sign that Meta is terrified its popular headsets are about to be eclipsed.
Ultimately, even if your company is not technology-led, Apple's "spatial computer" may be transformational for how small businesses advertise their services or interact with customers and employees. So stay tuned.
Photo: Apple Vision Pro. Courtesy Company.