š„½Could the Vision Pro be Apple's first commercial failure?
Apple makes Meta look crappy, but also attracts negative reviews on its headset
The best design is the one you don't notice because it's doing its job.
ā Nils-Petter Norlin
šA classic Apple launch strategy, but not so much
Last week, Apple launched the Vision Pro, its first headset and largest new product release since the Apple Watch in 2015. The Vision Pro is focused on entertainment and in a new way of computing (coined spatial computing) and is expected to start selling next year, priced at $3,500 š².
We all know that this is not a new product - for a long time, Meta has been doubling down its bets on the Metaverse thesis, and so far has reportedly sold 20M headsets since 2018. Its latest version is called the Quest Pro and is priced at $1,500.
The Vision Pro release seems to be a classic case for Appleās product launch strategy: rather than being the first to introduce something new, they tend to bring the premium version. Apple has been studying virtual reality (VR) use cases for quite some time: in 2020, it bought Next VR, a company focused on sporting events and concerts.
š„½ High-tech headset comparison: Apple (Spatial Computing) x Meta (Metaverse)
Appleās Vision Pro is all about entertainment: watching movies, playing games, taking photos (it has Appleās first-ever 3D camera), reading and basically taking the entire experience from your desktop to a virtual, spaceless world.
Screenshot from Appleās Vision Pro launch video. Source: Apple.
The Quest Pro, on the other hand, is all about the controversial Metaverse thesis, now being applied for work and meetings. For this, Meta developed a partnership with Microsoft Teams.
Screenshot from Metaās Quest Pro launch video. Source: Meta.
šA technical achievement
One thing is for sure: Appleās headset technology surpasses that of Metaās by miles: it has a sleeker design, a more seamless experience, an ultra-high resolution for text and images/videos, creates no motion sickness and has an incredible eye-tracking feature that allows users to select things with their eyes and hand motion. š²
VR experts from the Cortex podcast called Appleās Vision Pro is āunbelievableā. However, they also acknowledged that it is still far from perfect: it is heavy, becomes obsolete in 2 years, and is crazy expensive. Metaās Quest Pro has similar problems, but at least sells for $1,500.
Bryan Chen, the NYT tech expert, said he āwalked away with mixed feelings, including a nagging sense of skepticismā. Scott Galloway said that this will be Appleās first big commercial failure of the century - he even dives into basic human DNA reasons for users not want to adopt it š.
šš½Too big to fail?
This would not big a Big Techās first commercial failure - remember Google Glass and Amazonās Fire smartphone? But, for a company such as Apple (that arguably created the most successful consumer product in the world - the iPhone), this is a surprise, and makes me wonder why it launched it.
Both Appleās Vision Pro and Metaās Quest Pro seem to come at a bad timing: we are at a moment when human connection is needed more than ever. Quoting Rex Woodbury , we are in the midst of a loneliness pandemic, and companies are requesting employees to come back to work in presence.
According to tech expert David Pogue, the Vision Proās crisp resolution āmade the displays in the [Metaās] Oculus look like a screen doorā. Is the Vision Pro aimed at showcasing Apple's superiority over its competitor, Meta? (check this article to understand this rivalry).
Left: Metaās Quest Pro. Right: Appleās Vision Pro. Sources: Meta and Apple.
š®The future of headsets - gaming
I have a tough time believing that the Vision Pro will be commercially successful, especially when priced at $3,500.
Yet, I do believe that many companies can actually succeed in the VR industry, and this will take place be in gaming. In early 2023, Sony launched its Sonyās PlayStation VR2 (priced at $550), which sold 600k units in its first six weeks.
More to comeā¦