What Apple Vision Pro is
Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s spatial computing device: a headset that blends digital content with the user’s physical surroundings, controlled with eyes, hands and voice, running the visionOS operating system. Apple unveiled it on June 5, 2023, calling it “Apple’s first spatial computer”; according to the January 8, 2024 press release, US pre-orders opened on January 19, 2024, and it went on sale in Apple Store locations and online in the US on February 2, 2024. Current configurations, accessories and purchasing information are on the official product page.
Usage and boundaries
- Interaction: the official press releases describe a three-dimensional user interface in visionOS driven by eye tracking, gestures and voice, with the Digital Crown controlling the level of immersion.
- App ecosystem: per the January 2024 press release, the visionOS App Store launched with more than 1 million apps compatible with iOS and iPadOS, alongside new experiences built for Vision Pro.
- Availability: the February 2024 launch covered the United States; later countries and supply follow the official product page and Apple’s online store for each region.
The product sits in Apple’s hardware lineup as a new category alongside, but independent of, the iPhone and Mac; see the brand entry for how it relates to Apple’s other products.
Discussion in the show
In the “界面标准与长期一致性为什么重要” (why interface standards and long-term consistency matter) chapter of Weekly #002, while discussing how hard it is for Apple to ship new categories, Orange lines up Siri’s long stagnation and the decade-long Apple Car alongside Apple Vision, saying “Apple Vision failed” to argue that even Apple struggles to launch a genuinely new product. This is a participant’s personal judgment; the show does not examine Vision Pro sales or the product’s outcome in detail. See the Chinese transcript; an English transcript is not available.
Frequently asked questions
When was Apple Vision Pro released?
Apple unveiled Apple Vision Pro on June 5, 2023; per the January 8, 2024 press release, US pre-orders began on January 19, 2024, and it went on sale on February 2, 2024.
How much does Apple Vision Pro cost?
Apple’s June 2023 announcement set the US starting price at $3,499. Current pricing, configurations and regional availability are on the official product page.
What operating system does Apple Vision Pro run?
visionOS, described in Apple’s announcement as the world’s first spatial operating system, built on the foundations of macOS, iOS and iPadOS.
Can Apple Vision Pro run iPhone and iPad apps?
Per the January 2024 press release, the visionOS App Store launched with more than 1 million apps compatible with iOS and iPadOS; whether a specific app is available is shown in the App Store itself.