It's worth remembering that the first headset is aimed at developers, and priced like Hololens.
This isn't the less expensive mass market consumer device that people have been calling "Apple Glasses".
Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
171–180 of 191 posts
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#172> With that in mind, executives are striking a realistic tone within the company. This isn’t going to be a hit product right out of the gate. But it could follow a similar trajectory as the Apple Watch. Their confidence is blinding.
https://www.counterpointresearch.com/global-smartwatch-shipm... If it follows the Apple Watch, then it will be the undisputed market leader in the product segment, which honestly I think it will. The competition is very weak. Meta's efforts have largely failed with the MetaVerse and their whole ecosystem seams very stagnant. Valve and HTC aren't doing much in this space. Sony's PSVR is promising, but it is completely…
Meta's offering is 10 times cheaper. This price tag brings the headset out of reach for at least 95% of people right out the gate.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#173HoloLens is (soon to be was) a great AR device. Certainly useable and competent but it suffered from the same issue over and over: once the gee wiz demo was over, outside of a few very niche uses, people went back to using their laptops and smartphones. Because it’s easier to just pull out your smartphone, get whatever you need done, then put it back in your pocket. This rapid and random access is why people love sma…
Generally agree. Read Rainbow's End for an example of what reduced friction UI is like for AR. But it is enabled by input and display devices that are several generations ahead. Heck, even Cyberpunk 2077 is somewhat interesting in this regard. I started with a Corpo character and realized the persistent screen elements with a news ticker, some other data etc were interesting in a game world I knew nothing about. I im…
Audio is the best and most natural AR experience right now. I would love to see greater investment here by Apple.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Because it’s easier to just pull out your smartphone, get whatever you need done, then put it back in your pocket. FWIW I see an alarmingly lot of people glued to their phone while walking, in a restaurant, on the train, while driving, etc. Once it's normalized that they don't actually have to "pull out, put it back", just use (wear) it all the time as it is with phones, there will be a market.
You still have some sort of spatial awareness while using a phone, which makes it more acceptable to use in public. Like, if I’m dining solo, and a waiter comes by, I will still acknowledge their existence and be able to respond to them, have an eye contact and be able to use your body language. That’s kind of lost in AR/VR case.
The Reality headset apparently addresses this with an external display that shows the user’s eyes.
It seems hard to imagine how this could possibly be enough to satisfy the waiter scenario you’ve described. But my understanding is that it attempts to handle some version of this social need.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
I could see major potential in the fitness space, paired with Apple Watch + Fitness+... I could see potential use cases in education (think surgery simulator etc...). I could see some developers using it as an alternative to their monitors. I think there are plenty of places outside of gaming where a device like this, done right (comfortable) could carve out a segment. Plenty of people pay thousands of dollars for an…
I’ve heard people bring up fitness, but the physical experience of sweating with a headset strapped to my face sounds unpleasant. It also turns the product into “gym equipment”. Is it waterproof? Can I give it a good wash in the sink and dry it? Or am I putting it on later with it soaked in cold sweat? How’s it going to smell after a couple of weeks?
Have you worked out in Supernatural on oculus?
Go back over old threads here where people describe it as life changing.
I used supernatural for many months, and yes it does get sweaty—-you have to wear awkward vr sweatbands.
But the experience is like no other exercise I’ve tried. The reporting about the meta acquisition of this company is all off.
This is a major market, and it doesn’t really matter if it is $3k if it gets people to enjoy exercise. People spend vast amounts of money on fitness equipment.
This would be just one use case for the product, but a perfect fit for apple’s ecosystem.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Apple sells WHEELS for a Mac Pro for $700 Not many of them though. AirPods are 200-300 and an absolute cash cow, and probably system sellers for Mac and iPhone.
AirPods are not as complex as virtual reality goggles. It’s like comparing apples to VR goggles.
Sure. I don’t agree with OP that they can be sold at 300.
Something that does less for cheaper might be an easier sell though then more for more.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#177Maybe Apple could market this thing simply as a hi-res monitor and focus only on productivity side. If they have dual 5K displays and lenses, that seems like a safer bet and avoid the metaverse and gaming altogether. They charged more than 3000 for their pro monitors. Recently they have Wi-Fi 6E across new products and it could be for pushing compressed pixels to the headset which needs only to be a thin client like…
I use the XDR Pro Display and have wondered if these will work as a replacement for a large high res monitor.
I tried productivity / desktop on my quest 2 and it was awful.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Because it’s easier to just pull out your smartphone, get whatever you need done, then put it back in your pocket. FWIW I see an alarmingly lot of people glued to their phone while walking, in a restaurant, on the train, while driving, etc. Once it's normalized that they don't actually have to "pull out, put it back", just use (wear) it all the time as it is with phones, there will be a market.
You still have some sort of spatial awareness while using a phone, which makes it more acceptable to use in public. Like, if I’m dining solo, and a waiter comes by, I will still acknowledge their existence and be able to respond to them, have an eye contact and be able to use your body language. That’s kind of lost in AR/VR case.
Just to make a point, some of the aforementioned people are absolutely unaware of their surroundings, won't acknowledge the waiter's existence, nor have an eye contact with them, while they are on their phone.
Immersive experience, that is.
(note that I understand your point, just want to be sarcastic and bitter when I think about phone / AR-VR and other social media addicted people, who are eventually going to be the target audience of any of these new time wasters)
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#179The reason the Apple Watch took a few years to get traction is that: - Apple initially positioned it as a fashion accessory, which few people cared about - the public wanted it to be like a smartphone on your wrist, and were let down by the limited features Then Apple realized the value was in the health features. They started positioning it properly and people bought it more. All at the same time the tech improvemen…
> But over time, Apple realizes that the number one value is in gaming
Except that Apple sucks at gaming. They just don't get the market. There's no way they'll make a product whose primary focus is gaming. If they do they'll fail hard.
Re: Apple’s Best Hope for New Headset: a Smartwatch-Like Trajectory
#180I think entertainment is still the biggest market for AR/VR, Apple is investing $1B in original content next, won't be surprised some of that goes to bespoke production for the new headset. Paired with a powerful apple tv and apple watch (doube as a gesture remote?), I can see some creative content revolutionize home entertainment.