United States: Apple has officially unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset priced at $3,499, the Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade.

“With Vision Pro, you’re no longer limited by a display. Your surroundings become an infinite canvas. Vision Pro blends digital content into the space around us. It will introduce us to spatial computing,” Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, stated.

The headset allows users to interact with “apps and experiences”, as Apple vice president of human interface design Mr. Alan Dye said, in an augmented reality (AR) version of their own surroundings or in a fully immersive virtual reality (VR) space.

“Apple Vision Pro relies solely on your eyes, hands, and voice,” Dye said. “You browse the system simply by looking. App icons come to life when you look at them; simply tap your fingers together to select and gently flick to scroll.”

A feature called “EyeSight” will show users’ eyes on the front screen when they are in an AR mode, simulating a transparent screen and letting them more naturally interact with those around them, but will show a blurred version of a VR experience to indicate to others when they are not present in the room.

“Because you can see the world clearly when wearing Vision Pro, you remain present in your space. You can review your to-do list and notes, review your next trip in Safari, and play music while you type. It works seamlessly with familiar Bluetooth accessories, and you can even bring your Mac wirelessly into Apple Vision Pro just by looking at it,” Apple remarked in a statement.

In addition to custom-built applications, Vision Pro is designed to support iOS apps and display them as a floating screen in front of the user, offering a versatile and compact alternative to their current devices, as per Apple’s marketing approach.

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