MichaelBTech

Wired recently published an article revisiting the “three biggest flops of 2024,” and, somewhat surprisingly, the Apple Vision Pro made the list. While I respect Wired’s perspective, I disagree with their assessment. I believe the Apple Vision Pro is not a flop, but rather a bold step into the future of mixed reality.

Senior Commerce Editor Julian Chokkattu highlights some valid points in his section on the Vision Pro: 

“I am writing this story on the Apple Vision Pro. I like using it for work more so than entertainment, though I did watch The Weeknd’s Open Hearts, an interactive music experience where I was face-to-face with the musician as he was being hauled away in an ambulance through various Inception-esque environments. The visual quality of the film is impressive and it feels immersive to watch—you can see beads of sweat on his face—but there are also moments when the camera changes to sweeping views that look too grainy and pixelated. Apple has released several immersive experiences like this throughout 2024, including a film called Submerged.

Technically, I’m using the Vision Pro in Mac Virtual Display mode. I have it wirelessly connected to Apple’s new Mac Mini, which brings your computer’s screen into a spatial environment, allowing you to place other visionOS apps around it. This mode now gives you options for your Mac’s screen size: Standard, Wide, and Ultrawide. I’m using the latter and have two browser windows open side by side, plus Slack off to the left, and I’m using Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. It’s great.

It’s hard not to leave the Vision Pro experience without feeling impressed each time, though I wish this darn battery cable was a little longer. (It slid off my desk while I was wearing the headset, but I thankfully caught the pack before it pulled the wire.) But with Google and Samsung’s recent announcement of Android XR, we can expect similar mixed-reality headsets on the way in 2025, and I have a hard time believing most of them will cost as much as the Vision Pro. That’s ultimately the main problem with Apple’s big 2024 release: It’s too far out of reach for almost everyone."

Think back to the original iPhone. It was expensive, had limited functionality compared to today’s standards, and yet, it revolutionized the mobile phone industry. The Apple Vision Pro could very well do the same for mixed reality.

In 10 years, I predict the Apple Vision Pro will still be a niche product, but it will have paved the way for more affordable and accessible Apple headsets. Google and Samsung’s Android XR headsets will likely be strong competitors, offering aggressive pricing and impressive hardware. But Apple’s focus on user experience and tight integration with its ecosystem will continue to set it apart.

The Apple Vision Pro is not a flop; it’s a glimpse into the future of computing. It’s a future where our digital and physical worlds seamlessly blend, creating new possibilities for work, entertainment, and communication. And while it may be out of reach for most consumers today, its impact will be felt for years to come.