Let’s just get all this out of the way:
- Yes, it’s expensive
- Yes, it’s a 1.0
- Yes, it’s heavy
- Yes, Meta Quest exists, and is cheaper
- No, you don’t NEED it
OK? Everyone Happy? Great.
Let me tell you though, that after using Apple Vision Pro for 10 days or so, I’m very much interested in it as it is, and its future potential.
I’m not going to bother going into specs, or what’s in the box, or even really come close to a typical review. That’s just not my style, and there are countless writers and YouTubers who do a way better job at that.
What I will say is that this device is amazing! No, not all the time – there are definitely bugs. And, sure, this entire post might come across as me just trying to justify the expense (which is probably somewhat true). But I know that every time I put the headset on, I am amazed. Amazed at what I see, amazed that I can navigate seamlessly just by looking at things, amazed at how ‘Minority Report’ it seems, amazed at the typical Apple fit, finish, design and experience.
I have a tiny bit of experience using the Meta Quest 3, and, while the gaming experience is currently better there, for everything else that matters to me, Apple Vision Pro blows it away. And yes – for seven times the cost(!) – it should.
What I’ve experienced is a polished, easy to use, incredible device that excites me for the future where the ski goggle look is replaced by something closer to normal glasses. I know that Meta Raybans and Xreal Air and other “normal AR glasses” exist, but I am deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, and nothing can match the experience and familiarity I have when using Vision Pro. Already after a week and a half, I find instances where having Apple’s AR experience layered over top of my normal day to day is extremely compelling, and I miss it when not wearing it.
That being said, I don’t like wearing the device when my wife or kids are around, because it is definitely isolating, despite Apple’s attempt to show my eyes and that yes, I really am here hiding behind the curved glass and aluminum. But as a solo device for watching movies, consuming content or working independently, Apple Vision Pro is incredible.
Virtual Environments – like sitting in Yosemite or in Joshua Tree – are so immersive, you really feel that you are there. Spatial Videos must be experienced to be understood and appreciated. Even years-old panoramas from iPhones gone by are given new life and appreciation as they wrap around you.
One of the most negative things I’ve experienced is 100% my fault, and absolutely came with warnings from Apple. As a Canadian, Apple Vision Pro is not fully supported here yet. There’s no App Store, Apple TV only plays content I’ve purchased in the past, and a lot of previously purchased apps (that I downloaded when switching to/using a US Apple ID) don’t load, as they can’t ‘restore purchases’ as the Canadian App Store doesn’t work. However, some apps – like Disney+ and Carrot Weather – work perfectly and show me the potential of what this experience will be once the device is officially supported in Canada.
I will likely make another post when AVP goes on sale in Canada and I can truly experience it as it’s meant to be. By then we’ll likely have a couple software updates as well, and I can only imagine that little picky things will be fixed. Already with 1.0.3 the software seems more stable, and I have not had to ‘force quit’ the Settings App since the update (which I had to do almost every time I opened it with 1.0.2).
One thing I didn’t expect with Vision Pro is how much it’s replaced my iPad usage. In fact – the only reason I’m using my iPad as much as I am (which is a lot less) is because I don’t have all the Apps I want on the device (see above). Otherwise, so far, I find – as others have said – that Apple Vision Pro is the best iPad you can buy.