It felt almost strange to be standing in the rain outside Apple's glassy flagship store on Fifth Avenue on Groundhog Day and not wearing my Apple Vision Pro. I had barely taken off the mixed reality headset in my first two days of testing. of Vision Pro and the real world felt a little flat. Until Apple CEO Tim Cook opened the swinging glass doors and opened the proverbial floodgates to new and future Apple Vision Pro owners.
It's something of a tradition for Cook to unveil every new product at Apple's Central Park-adjacent location, but this moment was different, maybe bigger. It's been almost a decade since Apple launched a new product category (see the Apple Watch) and expectations were high.
The crowd gathered outside wasn't what I would call iPhone-sized (bad weather could have been a factor there), but there were dozens of people split evenly between media and patrons.
A group of Apple employees in blue t-shirts walked out of the store, which featured the giant white outline of a Vision Pro at the front of the store, and began clapping and cheering (I had heard them practicing clapping and cheering from inside the store). store). , doing their best to replace any enthusiasm that might have been missing from the crowd. This is also tradition and I find it almost endearing, but also a little embarrassing. After all, it's just a device, a very expensive one.
At exactly 8 a.m. ET, Cook appeared behind the glass doors (someone had previously double- and triple-checked that the doors weren't locked so Cook wouldn't have to bend down and release a latch). He opened the door and waved.
Soon, customers who had pre-ordered the $3,499 (to begin with) spatial reality computer were filing into the store (many of them stopping to take a selfie with Cook), while I waited outside, soaked and wondering if the Vision Pro is waterproof (it is not).
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Inside the store, which is located below ground level, the floor was packed. The Vision Pros were lined up on similar stands to the ones I had seen at launch. Under each one was an iPad that described the experience you were about to have. Some people were sitting on wooden benches near the back of the store, wearing Vision Pro headsets and making gestures to control the interfaces.
Interestingly, though, not many people were testing Vision Pros, but that was probably because Tim Cook was still in the room.
The crowd around him was dense, so thick that I noticed some nervous-looking Apple employees trying to gently clear the way and give the Apple leader some air. Cook, always the dapper Southern gentleman, smiled in countless photos with his fans. He even signed some things.
I took a step forward and Cook's eyes met mine. He smiled widely and waved. We shook hands and I congratulated him on a successful launch. Then I gave him my brief evaluation of the product: “It's incredible.” He perked up even more, “I know!” He shouted above the din.
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There really wasn't much more to say and I left it to be absorbed back into the crowd as I took another look at the Vision Pro sales setup. Meanwhile, customers were leaving with large Vision Pro boxes they had reserved. Thousands of mixed reality headsets are in stores and arriving in people's homes (US only). This will be your first experience with Vision Pro.
The good news is, as I told someone else today, there is no learning curve. Setup is hands-on and using the system generally only requires glances and very simple gestures.
There will be comments about the weight and proper, comfortable fit on the head, and some may be frustrated with the battery and having to keep the Vision Pro plugged in if they want to use it for more than two hours at a time. time.
Still, the excitement I saw in the store this morning and in Tim Cook's eyes may be justified. This is not your father's mixed reality.
Book your demo
Over the next few days, all demos will be held on a first-come, first-served basis in stores. However, if you can wait until after February 5, you can book your in-store demo by visiting the Apple Store site, navigating to the Vision Pro section, and selecting “Book a Demo.” Apple will guide you to sign in with your Apple ID. You must also be at least 13 years old to experience the experience.
Demonstrations last about 30 minutes. An Apple specialist will guide you through the setup process, which is quite simple.
You will choose a store near you, a date and an available time. If you wear glasses, Apple should be able to take your lenses and do a temporary measurement to give you the correct lenses for the demo (you'll buy your own Zeiss inserts if you buy headphones).
After that, you can go home and find out how to save up to $3,500.
@techradar ♬ Epic Inspiration – DM Production
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