2 min readApple's latest hardware showcase was all about the new iPhone 15 series, but the tech titan did manage to sneak in a few details about its upcoming Vision Pro headset.
The first (and possibly most important) bit of info that Apple shared about its take on a VR headset during this week's iPhone event was that it's still on track to launch in early 2024. If you're an early adopter and/or one of the few people who isn't completely turned off by the astronomical asking price, that's probably encouraging to hear. Delays for a long-rumored product like this one aren't uncommon, after all.
Given the closeness of that time frame, it's little surprise that the few other mentions of Apple's foray into the VR/AR landscape during an event mostly focused on the iPhone 15 had to do with laying the groundwork for that venture.
For instance, the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are slated to get support for a new Spatial Video capture feature that'll allow them to create 3D video content that can be shared and experienced using the Vision Pro. This feature will only be available to Pro users for now, possibly because it relies on the LiDAR sensor or the A17 Pro processor. Neither of which is found on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
In the long run, that's probably not a huge issue though. Chances are that if you can't wait to put in a preorder on the Vision Pro headset then you're probably already gravitating towards the high-end of the roster.
Given Apple's recent track record for introducing features like the Dynamic Island in the more expensive models before moving them into the mainstream ones, it's hard to imagine things stay this way forever though. Even if it's firmly in the domain of enthusiasts, for now, Apple wants to sell this headset (or something like it) to everyone they possibly can. Giving as many people as possible the ability to create content that can only be experienced via a Vision Pro headset as soon as possible is just one of several ways the company wants to push those already in the Apple ecosystem towards its most ambitious product yet.
Another example can be seen in the new AirPods Pro with USB-C, which will offer lossless audio when paired with Apple's Vision Pro headset. That kind of future-facing feature isn't exactly a reason to throw out your existing set of AirPods Pro, but if you don't own a set or need a new one then there is something to like about knowing that they'll be good to go in the event that you do ever decide to dabble with a Vision Pro headset. It's also worth noting that, for now at least, this will be the only set of earbuds that offer lossless audio for the headset.
These smaller integrations are likely only the start of Apple's attempts to make its take on virtual reality mainstream. It's not crazy how they could go further with it and do something like reserve priority pre-order access for the Vision Pro to those who opt for an iPhone 16 and beyond.
Make no mistake: Apple wants to sell you the Vision Pro and if they can use the iPhone (or anything else in the iOS ecosystem to do it), they will.
