Vision Pro

Apple has announced five titles coming to the Apple Arcade service in April, including two spatial games for the Vision Pro Headset. New games Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, Super Monsters Ate My Condo+, and Sago Mini Trips+ will be available on April 4 across Apple devices. Meanwhile, Apple Vision Pro users will get Crossy Road Castle and Solitaire Stories on April 25. The Vision Pro mixed reality headset launched last month and boasts over a dozen spatial gaming experiences.

The Apple Vision Pro might not be a hit in the consumer market as updated shipment estimates have dropped to 400,000 to 450,000 units for 2024, but the $3,499 head-mounted wearable is a success in the enterprise division, with companies thoroughly impressed with what has been crammed into the device. During Apple’s Q2 2024 earnings, CEO Tim Cook revealed that half of Fortune 100 companies have purchased the AR headset, and it has proven itself to deliver immense utility in various applications.

Apple is reportedly exploring a built-in camera to natively support FaceTime in a future Apple TV release, an idea that might remind Xbox fans of the abandoned Kinect. Apple has already added FaceTime support with tvOS 17, which requires a compatible iPhone or iPad to stream a video call to an Apple TV, but this upgrade would make things much more seamless.

The Apple Vision Pro is an impressive piece of hardware, and the eye-tracking/hand gesture input combo is fantastic for navigating menus and the like. It’s not so great for gaming. There haven't been many easy ways to connect a third-party controller for playing iPad or cloud games. This is changing, however, as accessory manufacturer 8BitDo just announced Vision Pro compatibility for a number of its controllers.

Tecno, which has made a name for itself with wild smartphone experiments and brought foldables to a more palatable price point, is now looking to make a splash in the gaming segment. The company’s latest offering is the Pocket Go, which the company claims to be the world’s first Windows-based AR gaming kit. The system includes a pair of AR glasses fitted

Apple is expected to launch the OLED iPad Pro models by the end of next month, as the company plans to redesign its high-end tablet. While there are a slew of changes coming at launch, the OLED display will potentially be the highlight of the upgrade. However, Apple's transition to OLED panels came years after it introduced mini-LED displays for the 12.9-inch model. It appears that the company has already started working on foldable display technology for the iPhone and iPad.

The Galaxy Ring might officially take shape during the second half of 2024, assuming the latest report’s information turns out to be legit. Typically, Samsung hosts a second Galaxy Unpacked event in July or August, but the new rumor also says that the wearable will not just be unveiled early but also come in different sizes to accommodate a bigger customer base. In short, Samsung appears to be going ‘all in’ in this new category, with earlier reports stating that various health features will be integrated into this device to make it a more appealing purchase.

The Apple Vision Pro has divided opinion ever since the company showcased it at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023. At the time, people only judged it on its price, features and its competition. But now that Apple has started selling the Vision Pro, users have got a chance to try it and formulate their opinions. While some are calling it the tech of the future, others have criticized it as an “isolated experience” and some have indicated discomfort while using the gadget. In fact, some of the early adopters of the Apple Vision Pro are having second thoughts too and are returning the headsets for several reasons. Bloomberg columnist Mark Bloomberg tells the tale and adds a twist at the end.

Apple on Thursday announced the arrival of new "spatial games" that are designed to work on the company's recently launched Apple Vision Pro headset. These games are designed to run on visionOS and are available to Apple Arcade subscribers, according to the company. Users will be able to interact with these games using hand gestures, while viewing elements in an immersive mode that uses augmented reality (AR) technology. Meanwhile, a total of 250 non-spatial titles can also be accessed on the mixed reality headset.

The mixed-reality headset market is rumored to add another member to the list called the Huawei Vision, as the former Chinese giant is said to take on the Apple Vision Pro with a future launch. To raise the bar and get more customers interested in picking up this head-mounted wearable, the rumor claims that there will be some similarities between the two products, but the Huawei Vision is not only said to be significantly lighter but sport half the price of the Apple Vision Pro.

The Apple Vision Pro is priced at $3,499, so it is likely that out of the initial estimated 60,000 to 80,000 units that make up the first batch, the majority of buyers will take advantage of the Apple Card to facilitate payments through installments. After all, undertaking an expensive purchase such as this is not feasible for everyone, and the mixed-reality headset has caught the attention of the masses, so it is natural for them to be lured into trying out the device. In the end, Goldman Sachs should be pleased with the outcome, as Apple Card loans are expected to reach $1 billion thanks to the upcoming launch.

Apple announced the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 last week, and if you watched the presentation, you caught a few glimpses of Apple's upcoming Vision Pro, a $3,499 AR/VR headset that launches in 2024.

The Apple Vision Pro reveal has forced several direct competitors to commence development of their own premium AR headsets, including Meta. The company is rumored to have partnered with LG to launch a high-end mixed-reality device in 2025, with its pricing said to be lower than the $3,499 amount of Apple’s first-generation product.

Consumers still need to wait several months before Apple launches the Vision Proheadset. But if you’re a software developer, you can now apply to receive early access to the VR hardware. 

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