It is not the first time that Apple generates mass devices through its products. He did it with the iPod (2001), the iPhone (2007), the iPad (2010) and the Apple Watch (2015). Now it seeks to achieve this with its first mixed reality glasses: Apple Vision Pro. They cost $3,499 and will be available early next year in the United States (the company did not offer data on availability in other places).

The device aspires to stand up to those of other technological giants such as Microsoft or Meta and to change the way in which users work and entertain themselves. "It is the most ambitious device we have ever built," the company said in the presentation. The Meta Quest 3 are available from 569.99 euros.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, explained that "augmented reality combines digital content with the real world, which can unlock experiences like never before."

It is controlled with the eyes and hands. Mixed reality is a technology that combines elements of virtual reality and augmented reality to create an immersive experience in which interactive virtual objects are overlaid and integrated into the real environment. The announcement comes just four days after Meta presented its new mixed reality glasses, the Meta Quest 3.

Use

They can be used, according to the company, to view photos and videos in a "new and magical" way. Also to maintain FaceTime video calls, in which several heads appear floating in space. So that the user can participate in video calls with the glasses on, the system scans their face and generates a kind of digital avatar that a priori seems quite realistic. Apple ensures that in this way a natural representation is achieved that matches the movements of your face.

They are also designed to achieve an immersive experience when watching movies by "turning any room into your own personal movie theater. This environment allows you to concentrate completely on the movie and is designed to give you a fantastic visual experience that you can take anywhere, like an airplane," they explain from Apple.

"Apple Vision Pro will change the way you see movies. we collaborate, we work and we enjoy entertainment," said Cook. The glasses incorporate the M2 chip, as well as a coprocessor called R1.

Apple claims to have studied thousands of heads to design these glasses, which are equipped with multiple cameras and sensors. The device has a button to take photos, speakers on its sides and is connected to a battery that must be carried in your pocket. The Cupertino company says that the user can enjoy spatial audio while staying connected to their surroundings.

The glasses will have their own App Store with applications designed for them. Apple assures that some such as Excel, Word, Teams, Zooms or Webex will be compatible with this device.

The impact on the market

A big unknown now is whether it will be able to turn glasses into a mass product. The apple company does not seem to have a killer app - a specific application or function so innovative, useful or popular that it is capable of arousing interest in a large number of users and promoting mass adoption of its glasses.

A few hours before the event, expectations about the impact of these glasses on the market caused Apple to reach an all-time high in market value in the last 17 months and was about to surpass its own barrier of 3 billion dollars on the stock market. At the beginning of last year, it became the only company to reach this figure. However, after the announcement that the glasses will cost $3,499, the stock fell 1.57% and lost part of what it had achieved hours before.

Other products

News on Mac

The first device presented at the event was a 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple's goal with this laptop is to offer a large screen to users who don't want to opt for a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The device incorporates the M2 chip and is theoretically 12 times faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air. It has a battery that offers an autonomy of 18 hours and its price starts at 1,299 euros.

Apple has also presented the Mac Pro 2023, a computer that debuts a new processor called M2 Ultra. This is the first major update to the Mac Pro in four years. According to the company, the new device runs three times faster than Intel-powered Macs in several real-world functions. Its price starts at $6,999.

Software changes

Apple has taken advantage of the event to announce the news of the new iPhone operating system: iOS 17. "We have a powerful new feature to help you make a more informed decision about when to answer the incoming call," explained an Apple employee. The company has presented Live Voicemail, a voicemail that transcribes the message that another person leaves you when they call you in real time: "Imagine that you receive a phone call while you are in a meeting and you want to know if it is something urgent or if it can wait. You will see the voicemail directly on your screen to decide whether to go out and take the call or not."

Among the new features of iOS 17, the automatic transcription of audio messages and the possibility of leaving a video message for another person in FaceTime if you don't pick up the call. Another interesting function is called Check In and it is used to send a notification to family and friends when you arrive home safely. Apple is also looking for a way to make it easier to share contacts with NameDrop. All you have to do is bring your phone closer to another person to share the number or email via AirDrop. And one more novelty: you will no longer need to say "hey" in "hey Siri" to activate the assistant.

Some of these new features, such as automatic transcriptions of voice notes, also come to iPad OS 17. Apple has also announced some updates to the widgets and greater customization of the lock screen. "These interactions with widgets will make the home screen much more powerful," the company says. In addition, PDFs can now be included within the Notes app and annotations can be taken with the Apple Pencil. Apple has also announced that the iPad will detect empty fields in a PDF and suggest how to fill them in.

The new operating system for Apple computers is called macOS Sonoma. With it, in theory it is possible to easily add the widgets installed on the iPhone to the Mac. The apple company also wants to improve the experience of those who make video calls. To do this, it has presented an effect that allows you to put the interlocutor in the foreground, right in front of a presentation or the computer screen (when you share it).

Airpods

One of the main novelties of the Airpods, Apple's popular headphones, is the adaptive audio, which supposedly adapts to the conditions to cancel annoying noise, but leave what may be useful to the user to ring. For example, a car horn. This new feature can also be useful during calls by minimizing background noise and prioritizing voices, according to Apple.

WatchOS 10

With watchOS 10, the new operating system for Apple watches, it slightly changes the way you interact with the device. "Now, from any watch face, you can simply rotate the digital crown to display different widgets," says a company employee. For example, by turning the crown it is possible to "quickly access the weather forecast, read the headlines or see if there are upcoming meetings."

For hiking lovers, the technology giant has introduced a new function that shows the last location that had coverage. The idea is that they can return to that location and make an emergency call if they need to. The new operating system also brings new features for tennis players or golf players. The watch can now record data from wrist movements.