In its first significant hardware release in nearly a decade, Apple has launched the eagerly awaited Apple Vision Pro augmented reality headset.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the new headset “seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world”.
The tech company also unveiled improvements for the MacBook Air and the newest operating system for the iPhone.
The headset will cost $3,499 (£2,849) and be offered in the US beginning in early 2019.
The revelation was made during a developer’s conference that was broadcast live on the company’s website and YouTube channel from Apple Park, where the business is based in Cupertino, California.
‘Ski goggles’
Apple Vision Pro differs visually from other comparable headsets available on the market and looks more like a pair of ski goggles than a virtual-reality headset.
Apple referred to the functionality of the new gadget as “augmented reality.”
In augmented reality, often referred to as mixed reality, virtual things are superimposed over the real world, allowing us to combine the two by gazing through a screen.
Users of the headgear can “see, hear, and interact with digital content just like it’s in your physical space,” according to Mr. Cook.
You can control it with your hands, eyes, and voice, using gestures like flicking your fingers to scroll and tapping them together to choose.
The news follows the announcements of new versions of virtual reality headsets by Meta and Lenovo that do not superimpose items on a view of the actual world.
Meta has also made significant investments in mixed reality, but the industry is now having trouble.
Global sales of headsets fell by 54% last year, according to the International Data Corporation.
The Apple Watch device was the company’s most recent significant hardware release in 2015.
iOS 17
Apple also launched iOS17, the most recent version of its iPhone operating system, in addition to the Vision Pro announcement.
Updates include “live voicemail,” which delivers a real-time transcription of an answerphone message, and “contact posters,” which display a photo or image of yourself on a person’s phone when you call them.
Also included by this transcription are audio messages sent through Apple Messages.
Additionally, Apple has unveiled a feature called Check-In that will instantly notify a friend or relative when you return home.
It can signal to others that you have not yet arrived home safely if your trip is significantly delayed.
In the fall of 2023, the new operating system will be accessible.
