Apple announced its first AR headset, Vision Pro, at the WWDC conference, set to retail at USD 3,499 by early 2024 with release planned in the US, although availability in other countries are likely to follow.

The Vision Pro, designed for consumer use, incorporates an aluminum frame, an M2 chip, an R1 video streaming chip, micro-OLED displays with 64 pixels in the space of an iPhone pixel, and an external pocket battery with around two hours of battery life. It features its proprietary "EyeSight" technology that displays the wearer's eyes on the front-facing screen, compensating for the opaque visor. FaceTime is anticipated to be a major application, utilizing spatial avatars that mimic the user's appearance and gestures through pre-scans and neural scanning technology. The headset also offers spatial photography and videography capabilities, delivering an immersive theater-like experience alongside Zeiss' custom prescription glass inserts.

The new VisionOS, specifically developed for spatial computing, enables the projection of the Mac desktop, interaction with 2D iPhone photos, and compatibility with teleconferencing services and Microsoft Office apps. Additionally, Apple will have a new App Store exclusive for the headset and Unity collaboration for game development. 

Analyst QuickTake: The Vision Pro’s price point is comparable to that of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 priced at USD 3,500 , as opposed to focusing on consumer-grade headsets such as Meta’s Quest 3, set to retail at USD 499 . Key differentiating features from the HoloLens 2 include spatial audio using Apple’s “audio ray tracing” technology and a potentially superior screen resolution of more than 4K per eye, translating to 23 million pixels on the screen.