Apple reveals augmented-reality headset Vision Pro

CUPERTINO, Calif., June 5 (Reuters) – Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) unveiled an augmented reality headset called the Apple Vision Pro at its annual software developer conference on Monday. Apple Watch 9 years ago.

CEO Tim Cook described this as “spatial computing” using devices controlled by eyes, hands and voice.

“This is the first Apple product to look at, not look at,” Cook said.

Apple says the Vision Pro has a 3D camera and microphone system that can capture videos and photos that can later be viewed in 3D. The company showed parents using the feature to celebrate their child’s birthday.

Disney+ streaming service from The Walt Disney Company (DIS.N) will be available on the device from day one. Disney has partnered with Apple for many years. Disney CEO Bob Iger took the stage in 2005 to announce that some of Disney’s most popular TV shows would be available for download through his iTunes Music Store.

Alan Dye, Apple’s head of human interfaces, said users select content in the goggles with their eyes, tap to click, and flick lightly to scroll.

The device also has an external display that shows the user’s eyes to the outside world. The outer screen dims when the user is fully immersed in the virtual world. When a person approaches the user in full virtual mode, the headset will show both the user and the outside person to each other. “You don’t isolate yourself from the people around you,” Dai said. “You can see them, and they can see you.”

For work, Apple showed how the headset can be used with a trackpad and keyboard to act like a traditional computer with multiple displays.

Apple didn’t make big announcements about generative AI products like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard search engine, but it’s quietly built AI into a few smaller features, like live transcription of voicemail.

The launch of the headset will put Apple in a test of a crowded market of devices that have yet to find consumer acceptance, putting it in direct competition with Facebook’s MetaPlatforms (META.O).

The iPhone maker’s share price jumped 2% before the launch, hitting a record high of $184.95, but after the announcement, the stock leveled off. Intel fell 3.9% after Apple removed Intel chips from its most powerful desktops.

Investors and tech fans alike are watching how Apple’s view of the virtual reality market overlaps with that of Meta. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has outlined his own vision of using headsets to enter and exit the “Metaverse,” where people can virtually come together to work, play and spend time.

In addition to Meta, Sony Group (6758.T) and ByteDance subsidiary Pico have also recently released virtual reality devices.

Companies sold a total of 8.8 million headsets last year, down 20.9% from 2021, according to research firm IDC. In the first quarter of 2023, sales fell by more than half.

Apple updates Mac

Apple also announced the 15-inch MacBook Air with the Apple-designed M2 processor chip. The six-speaker laptop starts at his $1,299 and goes on sale next week. The 13-inch MacBook Air drops to $1,099.

Apple has updated its Mac Studio desktop machine, saying its new M2 Ultra chip can handle artificial intelligence tasks that competing chips don’t have enough memory to handle.

Apple also announced a new version of its top-performing desktop, the Mac Pro, powered by the M2 Ultra chip and priced starting at $6,999. The M2 Ultra chip is essentially two of Apple’s biggest M2 chips joined together, a similar approach Apple has taken to improve the performance of his M1 chip.

Until Monday, the Mac Pro was the last computer in Apple’s lineup to still use Intel (INTC.O) chips.

“For PC users, there’s never been a better time to switch to the Mac,” said John Turnus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.

The update combines high-end machine improvements and messaging tweaks aimed at the developer cohort attending Monday’s event, as well as the new Mac Air aimed at a wider customer group, including potential Apple switchers. ing.

Apple has introduced small improvements to their iOS software. Some of them are aimed at small annoyances, like the “NameDrop” feature for sharing contact information more easily, while others are aimed at check-in features that tell contacts that the user has arrived safely. Others focus on safety and security, such as Destination.

Apple announced that it is improving the autocorrect feature of the iPhone keyboard.

“The moment you want to type a ducking word, the keyboard will learn it,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software. Apple is famous for autocorrecting the common swear word “ducking”.

Reported by Stephen Nellis. Additional reporting by Yuvraj Malik, Bangalore.Editing: Peter Henderson, Aditya Soni, Lisa Shoemaker

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