Vision Pro: Apple's New Augmented Reality Headset Unveiled

Pricey indeed, likely first specialty applications.

Vision Pro: Apple's new augmented reality headset unveiled    By Tom Gerken & James Clayton at Apple Park in California    in BBC News

Apple has unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the new headset "seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world".

The tech firm also announced its latest iPhone operating system, as well as updates to MacBook Air.

The headset has a two-hour battery life, costs $3,499 (£2,849) and will be released early next year in the US.

The cost is considerably more than virtual reality headsets currently on the market. Last week Meta announced its Quest - which costs $449.

Apple said little about generative artificial intelligence - the buzzy technology that is the talk of Silicon Valley.

The company's share price fell slightly during the announcement, made at a developer's conference at Apple Park, the company's headquarters, in Cupertino, California.

The BBC is among the media outlets at the event, but has yet to try out the new device.

'Ski goggles'

Apple Vision Pro looks different to similar headsets on the market - and is more reminiscent of a pair of ski goggles than a virtual reality headset.

Apple used the phrase "augmented reality" to describe what the new device does.

Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, superimposes virtual objects in the world around us - enabling us to mix reality with virtual reality by looking through a screen.

Users can access apps, watch movies, and write documents in a virtual world. But so far, there is little evidence of a big market for this kind of wearable tech.

Hartley Charlton, senior editor of MacRumors, was unsure how much the headset would appeal to the general public.

"It won't appeal to mainstream consumers at first on account of its extremely high price point and immediate shortcomings as a first-generation device," he said, "such as its separate wired battery pack."

But he said Apple has a track record of "overcoming scepticism" about new devices, and has historically encouraged people to "part with their cash to add a new gadget to their repertoire".