Spatial Media

When Apple unveiled the Apple Vision Pro earlier this month they conspicuously did not use terms like "augmented reality" or "the metaverse".

Instead they chose an obscure term "spatial computing" to describe the category into which the Apple Vision Pro falls.

And then tagged everything spatial.

The headset runs a spatial operating system to deliver a spatial experience comprised of spatial video, spatial audio and spatial pictures.

Although there may be more similarities than differences between Apple Vision Pro and competitive products like Meta Quest Pro and Microsoft HoloLens, Apple is using distancing language so they can compete in a new category-of-one, without the negative associations that come with MR/AR/VR.

As expected of a new category launch from Apple, the product page for Apple Vision Pro is a thing to behold.

Welcome to the era of spatial computing. Apple Vision Pro seamlessly blends digital content with your physical space. You navigate simply by using your eyes, hands and voice. So you can do the things you love in ways never before possible. You’ve never seen everything like this before.

It’s big talk, but it marks a step change in consumer digital experience. The device is screen-less. It captures and plays 3D video, natively. It locks/unlocks using retinal scanning (what Apple calls Optic ID).

The purpose of announcing Apple Vision Pro at such a high price point ($3,499) and so far in advance of product availability (ships next year) is to get the initial prototypes into the hands of app and content developers, so that they can get to work on the media and the experience that will define spatial computing.

And hopefully find the 'killer app' that takes it across the chasm.

Apple Vision Pro offers a new context for creativity and I'm excited to see (and be) how it plays.

Here is a link to the AVP product page. The Apple WWDC event video is worth a watch - https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/