Last Friday, manzana introduced its long-awaited mixed reality glasses to the US market VisionPro. The tech giant’s latest big invention, which it has been promoting for almost a decade, is a facial computer that resembles a balaclava. virtual reality And augmented reality integrating all kinds of digital objects into the physical environment that surrounds us.
New one technology Apple, which insists on calling it “spatial computing”, costs $3,499 (more than €3,200). Despite this height priceThe sale of this complex device was successful in just four days. About 200,000 reservations had been recorded before Friday, according to private portal MacRumors.
All this caused a test fever among the brand’s loyalists who traveled to many cities. United States of America As he tested his latest acquisition, he left behind images that would have seemed futuristic just a week ago.
Apple’s business strategy is generating a wave of admiration. There are even those who see AppleVision Pro a revolution similar to the creation iPhone And who guarantees that he will kill him?smart phone‘ to bring the virtual world from your screen to your retina.
But the predictions of some early adopters are still far from coming true. Company led by Tim Cook Mixed reality glasses face the challenge of ensuring success and widespread adoption; This is a mammoth task undertaken by other heavyweights in the tech industry. Google, Aim, explode, SAMSUNG And sony They have failed in the last decade. According to data from IDC, sales of such devices dropped by 8.3% last year. Will Apple succeed in transforming this market?
“Technical miracle”
Apple has been working on a face computer since 2007. At the time, before the iPhone was released, he had registered an invention he was developing under secret conditions that required more than 5,000 patents. Each device has five sensors that can read the movements of your hands and eyes to guide you through this new environment; but it also features six microphones, 12 cameras, 24 million pixel resolution displays, and up to 1TB of memory.
The specialist press is unanimous in pointing out that the engineering behind the Vision Pro makes them “a real leap forward in capability and application”. mixed reality. “This is the best consumer headset ever made,” says TheVerge’s Nilay Patel.
Bulky glasses?
However, just because these glasses are “technical marvels” does not mean that Apple can deliver them to the masses. The problem has little to do with technology but user behavior. “People quickly tire of carrying a computer on their face, devices are thrown into the closet, and software developers lose interest in creativity Applications“explains Brian X. Chen from The New York Times.
There are different factors that have historically hindered the widespread adoption of such devices. The most obvious is its price, which limits its reach and emphasizes class distinction. Another important aspect was the socially unacceptable behavior of some users, from isolating themselves from the world to taking photos of other people without their permission. In 2012, TIME magazine gave it a brand new name. Gafas Google It was chosen as the “invention of the year”. However, suspicions about the rude behavior of its users led to public hatred of them, giving rise to the term ‘glasshole’ (something like “spectacle scum” in English) becoming widespread.
Will Apple stumble over the same rock? ANDIn just one weekend, videos of users driving while wearing the Vision Pro have already started circulating. scooter, at the gym, or in other highly criticized situations. Apple’s usage policy recommends that you do not wear glasses while driving. Google also banned this.