Apple lived up to months of expectations on Monday with the introduction of new high-tech glasses that combine the real world with virtual reality. The $3,500 device, called Vision Pro, offers “augmented reality” and introduces “spatial computing,” according to Apple.
But conspicuously absent from the carefully choreographed announcement were the actual words “virtual reality,” underlining the challenges the tech giant is likely to face in marketing the device to a large consumer audience.
Interest in virtual reality picked up shortly after the idea of the metaverse — an immersive online world popularized by science fiction — was introduced to mainstream audiences during the pandemic. But the concept lost momentum as people returned to their prepandemic lives, investors turned to artificial intelligence, and it became clear just how much technological innovation would be required to realize such a futuristic vision.
Previous virtual reality offerings, including Google Glass, Magic Leap, Microsoft’s HoloLens and Meta’s Quest Pro, have been commercial failures or only modest successes. And companies have so far not shown what is indispensable about virtual reality.
“I don’t think the headset, when it hits the market this year, will be for mass market consumers,” said Carolina Milanesi, a consumer technology analyst for the research firm Creative Strategies. “It will be for early adopters – where Apple most often starts – and developers.”
Analysts don’t expect Apple’s product to have much appeal to the general public, at least initially. It will be available early next year, the company said.
But if the device doesn’t have widespread appeal, it could be a useful trial period for Apple, which could eventually create a virtual reality product aimed at a wider range of people, such as lightweight glasses.
“I don’t think Apple has super-high expectations,” said Jeff Fieldhack, director of research at Counterpoint Research. “They know this is an evolution that will take some time.”
This is an evolving story. Check back later for updates.
