I did the demo, its awesome, but I'm still not buying right now

[AirpodsNow]

As others have said, I think the future of this device is a pair of glasses you pop on, rather than a heavy pair of goggles. Once it reaches that, everyone will have it. Now its a novelty rather than a necessity. But the future is bright. And I got a glimpse of it today.

It's the same for my nephew and nieces who grow up with iPads, teenagers now. I tried to explain the way life was when making photos with film and to get it developed, they just looked at me like what? I would imagine this, if it does become mainstream, people would wonder why bother with these limited iPads/iPhone/MacBook screens and keep touching a glas plate. Indeed I would assume this tech of hand gestures and 'spatially' doing things could really be a game changer for mobile computing.

 

[antiprotest]

I booked an appointment on Friday for a 1PM demo today.

I arrived early and someone was available to do the demo. I sat and he handed me an iPhone to do the face measurements. 5 minutes later the AVP arrived on a tray.

He explained how to pick it up and put it on and what to be ready for. I don't wear glasses so no lenses to mess with.

I put it on and immediately knew this would be awesome. From the "hello" screen to calibrating my eyes, it was all magic. For some reason I couldn't seem to get it to sit correctly on my face. I felt like some of the "pass through" looked a bit blurry to me but maybe if I had more time to play with it I could get it to fit right.

The photos and spatial video are awesome. I can see many uses for it. Many ways to relive memories.

The demo with the Super Mario Bros. movie was ok, but when he made me turn on theater mode, that's when I said wow. It was like sitting in a theater with a huge screen. Everything else goes away.

Then came the finale, the immersive 3D demos. Wow wow wow. They are amazing, from walking up on a tightrope, to being in the dugout at Fenway, to being up close to animals. Never experienced anything like it.

When I was done, my tour guide sent me my measurements so they were saved if I wanted to buy the AVP in the future.

The AVP is an incredible piece of technology. Is it worth $3500 today? I don't think so. I don't know how long you can wear it without it being uncomfortable. I am still feeling it against my face an hour later. So it did get tiring, but maybe the fit wasn't right. As others have said, I think the future of this device is a pair of glasses you pop on, rather than a heavy pair of goggles. Once it reaches that, everyone will have it. Now its a novelty rather than a necessity. But the future is bright. And I got a glimpse of it today.

Have you tried previous VR devices, like the Oculus or Quest?

 

[Ghost31]

Simple glasses that can do what AVP (and other VR headsets are doing) are so far in the future

Decades, barring some massive change in battery technology.

This is not a "next year" or "next version of AVP" thing at all

Totally agree. People fall into hype and feel like Apple is magical and can somehow make 20 years worth of advancements at once. Not gonna happen. If Apple could have made a smaller headset, they would have. This is the best they can do.

At best what we can hope for are slightly smaller goggles in the future. But glasses will not be the same experience. I could see a pair of glasses coming at some point, but the functionality is gonna be gimped compared to the vision line of products. Probably simple notifications and basic phone like functions in the corner of your eye

 

[Markgnyc2]

Have you tried previous VR devices, like the Oculus or Quest?

Yes my kids have the Oculus 2 or now Quest 2. I never quite got into that device but just for the fact that you need controllers for it, and for the AVP you use your eyes and hands, its completely different. Not to mention the clarity of the screens.

 

[mailman199]

One more thing I wanted to point out. This is not replacing your iPhone now or probably ever. The iPhone (or phone in general) is still the central tech gadget that almost everyone needs. You still need a Mac (or computer) to do any real 'work". This is a complementary device such as an iPad. I think the phone, in its current form, will continue to exist for many many years. Just wanted to point that out because I have heard people say that this will replace the iPhone eventually.

This is the major issue for me. I want a productivity device that offer the features of the AVP, but basically it is an iPad not a Mac. Very little benefit for me if I have to carry my Mac and a AVP to get work done. Simply having it at my desk as a monitor is not enough to justify the price. Needs macOS built in.

 

[chaospet]

Simple glasses that can do what AVP (and other VR headsets are doing) are so far in the future

Decades, barring some massive change in battery technology.

This is not a "next year" or "next version of AVP" thing at all

Completely stand-alone VR/AR glasses might be a long way off, but glasses that are tethered by a cable to a battery/processor? Perhaps not. Palmer Luckey suggested in a recent interview that part of Apple's reason for keeping the battery separate from the headset is to get us accustomed to the setup for when they try to release a more glasses form factor device in the coming years. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, and I think that's a device that could see pretty wide adoption.

 

[turbineseaplane]

glasses that are tethered by a cable to a battery/processor?

I think that's a device that could see pretty wide adoption.

I'll take the opposite side of that bet, particularly with how accustomed folks already are to totally wireless technologies.

 

[klasma]

🤔 couldn’t you just attach an external battery to the glasses design. Similar to how how older people use neck strings for their glasses…. I don’t think people would mind wear a smaller battery as necklace… can be hidden or not… shoot there might a whole market birthed from ’accessorizing’ your wearable battery.
I might be on to something 🤔 lol

This already exists:

ZyberVR Quick-Charge Neck Power Bank With Swappable Battery

Big Capacity and Quick Charge: Boasts a massive 10000mAh capacity, extending your device usage for 2-3 hours of continuous fun. Supports quick discharge and charge, perfect for Quest 3. (Output: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓2.22A 12V⎓1.67A 20W Max. Input: 5V⎓2A 9V⎓2A 18W Max.) Secure Fit: Stable design eliminates...

zybervr.com

 

[richard371]

I feel like they should have ditched the oled with all the glass on the front. Also they should have put more of the electronics in the battery pack although swapping batteries would not be practical. This would cut a huge chunk of the weight as the M2/R1 fans etc would not be on your face.

 

[4sallypat]

just curious, did you get it fitted at the Apple Store?

No. Delivery to home. Fits OK.

Even without lens correction (I wear a very light prescription), the sharpness is amazing.

If I was keeping it, I would not have to order a set of Zeiss lenses...

 

[G5isAlive]

I think the laws of physics have to enter the discussion at some point. People keep saying that the this is just a first gen product and subsequent iterations will be so much better, etc. Future generations of this device might be a somewhat smaller and lighter but do I ever see something like this being the size and weight of a normal pair of glasses, or a contact lens? Never. You'll still need some type of external battery.

That being said, I read something today that makes me think that there will be a future for these types of devices. Someone in another thread posted that they recorded a spatial video or whatever its called of their sleeping infant. Watching it again was described as the closest that they could ever come to reliving a memory. That really stuck with me, having experienced loss of loved ones in the past year (my dad and my dog). A headset type device as an alternative type of monitor for a computer or tablet device is very appealing, especially when it would allow reliving a treasured memory of a loved one or a special place. It would be a much more logical application in my eyes anyway than having computer strapped to my forehead all day.

You make a good point on the laws of physics. Per chance did you read the foundation trilogy? One of the 1000’s of ideas it put out was that due to scarcity of nuclear material people out of necessity learned how to make personal sized nuclear power sources. But power is power, and even if an energy source could be miniaturized to that extent so as to be a speck in a contact, it would be a very high density speck and i am not sure i would want that sitting on my eye.

and yes, spatial video is really that amazing. I took some of my wife this weekend, and i am sure at some point I am going to cherish even the video of her reaching over to punch my shoulder when she realized what that blinking white light meant on my front screen.

 

[MarkNewton2023]

I booked an appointment on Friday for a 1PM demo today.

I arrived early and someone was available to do the demo. I sat and he handed me an iPhone to do the face measurements. 5 minutes later the AVP arrived on a tray.

He explained how to pick it up and put it on and what to be ready for. I don't wear glasses so no lenses to mess with.

I put it on and immediately knew this would be awesome. From the "hello" screen to calibrating my eyes, it was all magic. For some reason I couldn't seem to get it to sit correctly on my face. I felt like some of the "pass through" looked a bit blurry to me but maybe if I had more time to play with it I could get it to fit right.

The photos and spatial video are awesome. I can see many uses for it. Many ways to relive memories.

The demo with the Super Mario Bros. movie was ok, but when he made me turn on theater mode, that's when I said wow. It was like sitting in a theater with a huge screen. Everything else goes away.

Then came the finale, the immersive 3D demos. Wow wow wow. They are amazing, from walking up on a tightrope, to being in the dugout at Fenway, to being up close to animals. Never experienced anything like it.

When I was done, my tour guide sent me my measurements so they were saved if I wanted to buy the AVP in the future.

The AVP is an incredible piece of technology. Is it worth $3500 today? I don't think so. I don't know how long you can wear it without it being uncomfortable. I am still feeling it against my face an hour later. So it did get tiring, but maybe the fit wasn't right. As others have said, I think the future of this device is a pair of glasses you pop on, rather than a heavy pair of goggles. Once it reaches that, everyone will have it. Now its a novelty rather than a necessity. But the future is bright. And I got a glimpse of it today.

Awesome write-up! Thank you for sharing your experience. Nothing can beat own experience. Reviews can be bias and misleading. Keep calm, experience new things on our own and be happy on whatever outcomes due to satisfaction with ourself reliance. 😊 life is too short to be unhappy on anything😊

 

[Lobwedgephil]

From someone who had seen so many reviews and Apple's promotional videos, I thought it would be a perfect fit.

Can't do: Mac Virtual display with my Studio Mac, can't handle more than 1 Apple ID, can't access Disney+ due to different Apple IDs, can't keep it on my face longer than 30 minutes - my cheekbones and eyes hurt, and the control panel placement really sucks.

After 3 days of use I am going to return this $3800 toy.

It's a great toy, but not productive for me to warranty keeping it.

Why can't you connect to your Studio?

 

[Bustermd]

and yes, spatial video is really that amazing. I took some of my wife this weekend, and i am sure at some point I am going to cherish even the video of her reaching over to punch my shoulder when she realized what that blinking white light meant on my front screen.

I'm very skeptical of AR/VR/Spatial computing as something that will be practical, useful, or have wide acceptance from the public. I don't think most people want to wear a headset to work and watch movies, or set timers for cooking. But, based on this and other descriptions, spatial video seems like something I and many others would be extremely interested in. I'm actually getting a bit emotional thinking about the "what ifs" and I hope one day the technology exists to convert existing 2D videos to spatial videos.

 

[4sallypat]

Why can't you connect to your Studio?

Apparently, my Mac Studio does not allow for Virtual display on my VP.

Mac Studio was upgraded to Sonoma Mac OS but it's wired (LAN) instead of Wifi. BT on but the Apple ID is not the same nor do I have 2FA turned on.

What a HUGE bummer.

I really wanted to use my Mac Studio with the VP - my main reason for getting it.

Did not want a pair of glorified iPads in my eyes which Vision OS seems to be....

Apple's list of stringent requirements for Virtual display: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213971

 

[G5isAlive]

I'm very skeptical of AR/VR/Spatial computing as something that will be practical, useful, or have wide acceptance from the public. I don't think most people want to wear a headset to work and watch movies, or set timers for cooking. But, based on this and other descriptions, spatial video seems like something I and many others would be extremely interested in. I'm actually getting a bit emotional thinking about the "what ifs" and I hope one day the technology exists to convert existing 2D videos to spatial videos.

I am not going to predict the future, but one thing that is becoming more and more obvious to me is that the immersive experience is so personal that adoption of the technology will also be very personal. I get it that most people dont want a headset to watch movies, but I love the freedom it gives me to watch what i want where i want and because I travel a lot I will get use of it. And I also like that I can sit here and type this response while i have a YouTube video running off to my right (and yes Spatial Audio tracks that perfectly) and off to the left is my email. Up above is a favorite picture of mine that i enjoy just glancing at. Sure I can sorta reproduce this on my 3 screen computer set up, but i cant carry that around with me. The headset I can. Its a convenience thing for me. Yep it’s expensive but I have paid more for less. So it has value for me. Like I said, a personal thing.

 

[shallow_good]

Apparently, my Mac Studio does not allow for Virtual display on my VP.

Mac Studio was upgraded to Sonoma Mac OS but it's wired (LAN) instead of Wifi. BT on but the Apple ID is not the same nor do I have 2FA turned on.

What a HUGE bummer.

I really wanted to use my Mac Studio with the VP - my main reason for getting it.

Did not want a pair of glorified iPads in my eyes which Vision OS seems to be....

Apple's list of stringent requirements for Virtual display: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213971

I am using virtual display on my AVP with my Mac Studio, no issues.

Wired is fine, I am also on LAN. You just need to have WiFi enabled and use the same Apple ID.

The AVP does not recognize the studio the same way it recognizes my MacBook (with the hovering connect icon). On the Studio I have to manually go to screen mirroring in the control center and select the AVP to connect.

 

[Wizpod96]

I think the laws of physics have to enter the discussion at some point. People keep saying that the this is just a first gen product and subsequent iterations will be so much better, etc. Future generations of this device might be a somewhat smaller and lighter but do I ever see something like this being the size and weight of a normal pair of glasses, or a contact lens? Never. You'll still need some type of external battery.

That being said, I read something today that makes me think that there will be a future for these types of devices. Someone in another thread posted that they recorded a spatial video or whatever its called of their sleeping infant. Watching it again was described as the closest that they could ever come to reliving a memory. That really stuck with me, having experienced loss of loved ones in the past year (my dad and my dog). A headset type device as an alternative type of monitor for a computer or tablet device is very appealing, especially when it would allow reliving a treasured memory of a loved one or a special place. It would be a much more logical application in my eyes anyway than having computer strapped to my forehead all day.

The spatial video totally reminded me of a memory. If anyone has seen the Film Reminiscence with Hugh Jackman it gave me vibes from it.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Apparently, my Mac Studio does not allow for Virtual display on my VP.

Mac Studio was upgraded to Sonoma Mac OS but it's wired (LAN) instead of Wifi. BT on but the Apple ID is not the same nor do I have 2FA turned on.

What a HUGE bummer.

I really wanted to use my Mac Studio with the VP - my main reason for getting it.

Did not want a pair of glorified iPads in my eyes which Vision OS seems to be....

Apple's list of stringent requirements for Virtual display: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213971

Gotcha, yeah disappointing. Connecting to my Mac is pretty awesome, but I just have the usual 1 apple id, etc. Connect works great on the two that I have tried. For me, will be great setup when traveling, but I use multiple monitors at home, so tough to replace that.

 

[MisterSavage]

I get it that most people dont want a headset to watch movies, but I love the freedom it gives me to watch what i want where i want and because I travel a lot I will get use of it.

I can put a humongous screen in front of me for movies wherever I want and/or shut out the misery of something such as an airplane? Heck yes. If I traveled a lot I would certainly be considering one now.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

Simple glasses that can do what AVP (and other VR headsets are doing) are so far in the future

Decades, barring some massive change in battery technology.

This is not a "next year" or "next version of AVP" thing at all

In some aspects, it will NEVER do (some of) what VP does, because Glasses will be strictly an AR product whereas VP leaned heavily into VR with things like immersion because of the fact that it had to be a VR headset.

 

[ttyRazor]

I booked an appointment on Friday for a 1PM demo today.

I arrived early and someone was available to do the demo. I sat and he handed me an iPhone to do the face measurements. 5 minutes later the AVP arrived on a tray.

He explained how to pick it up and put it on and what to be ready for. I don't wear glasses so no lenses to mess with.

I put it on and immediately knew this would be awesome. From the "hello" screen to calibrating my eyes, it was all magic. For some reason I couldn't seem to get it to sit correctly on my face. I felt like some of the "pass through" looked a bit blurry to me but maybe if I had more time to play with it I could get it to fit right.

The photos and spatial video are awesome. I can see many uses for it. Many ways to relive memories.

The demo with the Super Mario Bros. movie was ok, but when he made me turn on theater mode, that's when I said wow. It was like sitting in a theater with a huge screen. Everything else goes away.

Then came the finale, the immersive 3D demos. Wow wow wow. They are amazing, from walking up on a tightrope, to being in the dugout at Fenway, to being up close to animals. Never experienced anything like it.

When I was done, my tour guide sent me my measurements so they were saved if I wanted to buy the AVP in the future.

The AVP is an incredible piece of technology. Is it worth $3500 today? I don't think so. I don't know how long you can wear it without it being uncomfortable. I am still feeling it against my face an hour later. So it did get tiring, but maybe the fit wasn't right. As others have said, I think the future of this device is a pair of glasses you pop on, rather than a heavy pair of goggles. Once it reaches that, everyone will have it. Now its a novelty rather than a necessity. But the future is bright. And I got a glimpse of it today.

I just did the demo too and mostly felt the same way. It was sharper than my Quest 2, but I’d be a lot less likely to wear it for long, at least without a better head strap. Not sure if I just didn’t get a chance to adjust it right, but the weight was definitely off putting.

Passthrough looked “good”, but not as sharp as some of the Apple-produced 3D videos, which were definitely the most impressive part. Not sure how much real content we’ll get in this format, though.

Eye tracking was mostly good aside a few times where it got lost, or the highlighting wasn’t clear enough to tell it was actually selecting the thing I was trying to look at.

I’d need more time with it to decide if it’s actually useful for productivity. I already have multiple ways to get to Safari, and I’m not sure arbitrarily bigger windows are enough.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

I can put a humongous screen in front of me for movies wherever I want and/or shut out the misery of something such as an airplane? Heck yes. If I traveled a lot I would certainly be considering one now.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't be able to get over how stupid I would look wearing this thing on a plane amongst other people. While it's OK to somewhat isolate on a plane with noise cancelling headphones, it seems rude, inappropriate, and unwise to completely isolate both noise and vision. I can just see the flight attendants rolling their eyes now, "Sorry would you mind tapping the space man next to you to get his attention, it's time to land."

 

[ttyRazor]

In some aspects, it will NEVER do (some of) what VP does, because Glasses will be strictly an AR product whereas VP leaned heavily into VR with things like immersion because of the fact that it had to be a VR headset.

All the stuff with fuzzy borders like the partially dialed in immersion or spatial videos seem to hint how they might handle this; AR glasses would do an effect like that at the edges, and you’d always get that partly translucent look.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

I think the laws of physics have to enter the discussion at some point. People keep saying that the this is just a first gen product and subsequent iterations will be so much better, etc. Future generations of this device might be a somewhat smaller and lighter but do I ever see something like this being the size and weight of a normal pair of glasses, or a contact lens? Never. You'll still need some type of external battery.

1. This exact product? No. Once Apple commited to the god awful VR headset, they leaned into features that are only possible with a totally isolating headset so as to take advantage of the hardware they were forced to ship. A glasses product would not be identical to this product.

2. The glasses product would start out as an extension of iPhone, much like Apple Watch. The glasses need only be a viewfinder for an AR-enhanced world. It doesn't need to run native apps, it just needs to show you versions of the apps running on your iPhone. Its primary focus would be notifications and glanceable information, much like Apple Watch...but also, an accented world. Depending on the wireless performance and battery life, it could potentially run something like visionOS, but it's more like wireless CarPlay, not running natively. But this is fine, because eye tracking and pinches are not a replacement for multi touch. This input method will always limit the functionality of the device. But if the glasses can accent the world around you, if they can detect objects, people, and more and enhance these things...it is a game changer that is hard to put into a single paragraph. I can see the digital crown on the glasses cycling through modes where the lowest is no accent to the real world (normal vision), and it steps forward to a slightly accented and then heavily accented world.