In June 2023, Apple announced its mixed-reality device—the Apple Vision Pro headset. In addition to being a topic of interest among tech enthusiasts and Apple users, the gadget is worth considering due to its potential to seamlessly blend the digital world with the physical world. While the brand has yet to announce the final pricing and other sale-related details, here are a few things to know about the product before it hits the market:

1. Infinite canvas
On wearing the Apple Vision Pro headset, one can experience the world in a new way, beyond the limits of a 13-inch laptop screen or a 6-inch phone display. So, the device turns everything in front of and around the user into a display surface. The headset’s custom micro-OLED display system features 23 million pixels, so seeing through Vision Pro is like having a 4K display for each eye.

2. New spatial computing OS
This is a new type of software developed for the Vision Pro. It was built to allow support for the low latency requirements of spatial computing. With a new three-dimensional interface, visionOS allows the physical world to combine with the virtual world seamlessly. The operating system responds to natural light and casts shadows, helping the user experience a sense of scale and distance. The headset is entirely controlled by the wearer’s eyes, hands, and voice, so no controllers are required. When the user is browsing through apps, the software recognizes eye movements and tracks them to allow smooth browsing. When there is a need to tap something on the screen, the user can simply use their rested hand to do the job. Scrolling can be done with a flick of the wrist, and voice commands can be used to dictate certain instructions. These integrated features help users have a comfortable experience with this new device. While the technology seems intriguing, many users may be concerned about the security of providing the device with such data. To address such concerns, the brand claims that they do not share the eye-tracking information with any third-party applications, websites, or even Apple itself, for that matter.

3. Provides a new app store
Along with new software, the Vision Pro headset has its own app store, offering applications from third-party developers who can understand the uniqueness of the headset and provide creative experiences to the users. Apple will also be offering existing apps and reimagining them for spatial computing wherever possible. Other than that, many iPhone and iPad applications can work with the new OS as well.

4. Immersive virtual experiences
The infinite canvas can help retain a sense of reality by retaining the user’s physical surroundings, making them aware of things around them. However, using the Environments feature on the headset, users can completely transform their virtual experience. With the Digital Crown control on the top right surface of the headset, the user can change their environment to a completely digital world while the real surroundings fade away. This makes the experience even more immersive for the user.

5. Unique video-calling experience
FaceTime can seem more like a real tete-a-tete with the Apple Vision Pro headset. To begin with, all the callers appear on the screen in life-sized tiles. Further, because of the spatial audio, the video call would feel like talking in person or interacting with a hologram. This means that watching movies can make for a uniquely immersive experience as well. However, with FaceTime using the headset, the person on the other side can only see the user’s persona, as there is no camera facing the user. Nevertheless, the headset offers personas created using Apple’s machine-learning technique that will reflect the user’s face and hand movements in real-time on the call.

6. Optic ID authentication
Apple needed a new form of authentication, as Face ID and Touch ID would not work with the mixed reality headset. So, it uses the eyes to authenticate the user. Optic ID analyzes the user’s iris under invisible LED light exposures. Then, it compares the information with the previously provided Optic ID data and unlocks the device for the right user.

Additionally, the Apple Vision Pro headset comes with many more premium features that make it a high-end product. The expected price of the product was $3,499; however, the brand may be working on a version that could be much more affordable.