Apple should be laser-focused on Vision Pro technology because they have the lead.
Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter discusses Apple’s future plans for the Vision Pro and how Tim Cook is “hell-bent” on the future of Vision Pro technology:
The idea is to create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user’s Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications. Some customers have been using the Vision Pro for things like viewing imaging during surgery or for flight simulators. Those are two areas where a user would want the least amount of lag possible — something that can’t be guaranteed by a fully wireless system.
Still, all of this is a stepping stone toward Cook’s grand vision, which hasn’t changed in a decade. He wants true augmented reality glasses — lightweight spectacles that a customer could wear all day. The AR element will overlay data and images onto real-world views.
Cook has made this idea a top priority for the company and is hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can. “Tim cares about nothing else,” says someone with knowledge of the matter. “It’s the only thing he’s really spending his time on from a product development standpoint.”
The Vision Pro is already a game changer for healthcare, and it will only get better with more advanced technology. What seems like a disadvantage for the regular consumer is actually an advantage for healthcare providers. Even though the public perception of the Vision Pro is that of an entertainment device, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Vision Pro starts leaning more heavily into enterprise, and the spectacles become a separate product that is more consumer oriented.
Even though Apple is racing against Meta to be the industry-standard, one key advantage Apple has over Meta is their staunch stance on privacy, which is critical for healthcare and really for any major company that wants to adopt AR/VR headsets. They want to know with reassurance that their data, patient data, and company confidential information is safe. Meta has overhauled their stance on privacy, but the perception of poor privacy practices still lingers from their past blunders. It also doesn’t help that they are a social media conglomerate, which just has anti-privacy vibes written all over it.
It seems more likely that the iPhone 17 Pro will feature 8K video recording.
Update 4/8/25: 8K resolution and 180-degree field of view are separate parameters and unlikely for an iPhone to support the 180-degree field of view.
Joe Rossignol from MacRumors describes Apple’s new Immersive Video App for Vision Pro and Mac:
Apple Immersive Videos are 3D videos recorded in 8K resolution, with a 180-degree field of view and Spatial Audio. For example, recent performances by singer The Weeknd and heavy metal band Metallica are available in the format.
The new Apple Immersive Video Utility app allows you to import, organize, package, and review Apple Immersive Video files on a Mac. Then, you can connect one or more Vision Pro devices and review the immersive videos. For larger groups, Apple says there is a synchronized playback option for multi-device viewing sessions….
The app seems to be primarily intended for producers of Apple Immersive Videos, but the app is currently available for anyone to download.
I’m speculating here, but this sounds like a giant hint for iPhone 8K video recording support. I had the Vision Pro for a month, and immersive videos were the highlight for me and many others.
If people could record their own families in that same resolution and immersiveness, I think it would entice more people to purchase a Vision Pro. The Vision Pro videos that I have are 2200 x 2200, which is 2.2K resolution in a square aspect ratio, whereas 8K resolution is 7680 x 4320 pixels, or about 7 times the amount of pixels with 180-degree field of view.
8K video would require more storage, and I’m sure the iPhone Pro storage will be bumped up from 128GB to 256GB, along with a $100 price increase.
The influence for the Vision Pro’s design.
It’s hard not to see the uncanny resemblance between these two products. 📓
The Vision Pro’s future lies in healthcare.
Wesley Hilliard from AppleInsider:
Sharp HealthCare purchased 30 Apple Vision Pros and started a Spatial Computing Center of Excellence in February 2024. One year later, they are hosting a summit to share what doctors have learned about using the headset in healthcare.
The Sharp HealthCare summit enables 300 doctors from 10 countries around the world to share how they've implemented Apple Vision Pro in their workflows. Adoption by doctors has been quite surprising, as enterprise, especially the medical field, tend to be quite slow at bringing new technologies into their work.
The Vision Pro has three main problems for mass-market appeal:
Cost
Comfort
Portability
For healthcare, the Vision Pro actually solves these problems:
As for the $3,500 price, the doctors say it pales in comparison to the $20,000 monitors used in the operating room. And the price coming down will only help drive adoption.
Comfort and portability are also huge benefits according to a surgeon interviewed by Fast Company:
“We were looking around the operating room,” he remembers. “We have a lot of monitors, a lot of clutter. We were like, ‘There’s got to be a better way to do this.’”
It wasn’t just about tidiness. ”For [a] monitor to be in the ideal position for surgery, it really should just be directly in front of your head without having to turn your neck or adjust your body,” explains Dr. Broderick. “But often in laparoscopy, you have to adjust your body, turn your neck, and be in uncomfortable positions. And with repeated use like that, it can lead to tight muscles, neck injury, back injury.”
The doctors’ frustration with this situation happened to come to a boil at an opportune time. On February 2, Apple released the Apple Vision Pro, its first headset. A major element of the device’s spatial computing experience was the ability to float multiple virtual screens of any size in real-world surroundings, unconstructed by the bulky inconvenience of physical displays. Dr. Broderick’s team got its hands on a loaner Vision Pro and worked with UCSD Health chief clinical and innovation officer Christopher Broadhurst to assemble a system capable of streaming video feeds and overlaying them on the live view of a surgery in progress, greatly reducing the need to crane necks.
In short order, the idea became a trial that involved real patients and is currently undergoing peer review. “We’ve done over 50 cases and have had great success thus far,” says Dr. Broderick.
How to Prepare for Apple Vision Pro Pre-Orders.
The Apple Vision Pro Pre-Orders will be on January 19th, starting at 5AM PT. Here are some tips that will make sure your devices are optimized in order to avoid any hiccups on Pre-Order day.
Apple’s “One More Thing” is just not the same anymore…
When Apple revealed its Vision Pro spatial computing device, the initial sequence of events at the Keynote just weren’t as exciting as in the past. When Tim Cook mentioned that we have, 'One More Thing,' there was no usual fanfare, there was no cheering, and there was no anticipation that happens with a live event. In the live events before COVID, the camera angles change, people are shown smiling, sitting at the edge of their seats waiting for the unveiling of the next big thing. You also got to see all those tech journalists frantically typing away which gave you another reality perspective!
I know I know, Apple technically does have live events at Apple Park, but they are still just watching a screen and the reactions are not part of the keynote for everyone to enjoy.
Apple Vision Pro - What is the True Cost?
Apple revealed their Vision Pro headset on Monday, and one of the biggest concerns people have about it is the $3,499 price tag. Everyone keeps saying that it is way too expensive, but no one has really mentioned the fact that Apple stated:
“Apple Vision Pro, starts at $3,499.”
Did you catch that? That’s right, it STARTS at $3,499.
So what will be the true “out the door” price? We can only speculate, but let’s gather some numbers.