All About Apple Vision Pro!
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode covers a deep dive Q&A and long-term wear test of the Apple Vision Pro headset.
There are four key takeaways from this discussion. First, the choice of headband fundamentally impacts Vision Pro comfort for extended use. Second, the Vision Pro's most compelling practical application is immersive entertainment on long flights. Third, even expensive first-party accessories, like the Vision Pro carrying case, can disappoint. Finally, Apple is responding to new EU regulations with a strategy of "malicious compliance."
To comfortably wear the Apple Vision Pro for more than a brief period, switching to the included Dual Loop Band is non-negotiable. The stylish Solo Knit Band causes discomfort due to facial pressure, making the Dual Loop Band's top strap essential for better weight distribution during extended sessions.
The device's most practical and compelling current use case is as an immersive personal theater for travel. Particularly on long flights, the Vision Pro allows users to completely tune out their surroundings and enjoy media, establishing itself as a "killer app" for air travel.
However, expensive first-party accessories are not guaranteed to be perfect. The optional 200 dollar Vision Pro carrying case was heavily criticized for its unappealing, cheap-feeling exterior material, despite an otherwise well-designed interior.
Apple is also responding to new EU regulations with "malicious compliance." This involves implementing changes to the App Store that technically follow the rules but do so in a deliberately confusing and difficult way, violating the spirit of the new laws.
These insights highlight crucial aspects of the Vision Pro's current practicality, user experience, and broader market implications.
Episode Overview
- This episode serves as a deep-dive Q&A and long-term wear test of the Apple Vision Pro, with host Marques Brownlee wearing the headset for nearly two hours straight.
- The hosts compare the practicality and comfort of the Vision Pro's two included headbands, the Solo Knit Band and the Dual Loop Band, for extended use.
- The conversation explores key use cases, such as on airplanes, critiques accessories like the carrying case, and discusses the nuances of its hand tracking and optics.
- A running theme is the humor of Marques being able to look up answers and cheat during the podcast's trivia segment while wearing the device.
Key Concepts
- Headband Comfort is Critical: The choice of headband dictates the comfort of the Vision Pro. The stylish "Solo Knit Band" is uncomfortable for long sessions due to facial pressure, while the "Dual Loop Band" with its top strap is essential for extended wear.
- The Airplane "Killer App": The most compelling practical use case for the Vision Pro is as an immersive entertainment device on long-haul flights, allowing a user to completely tune out their surroundings.
- Vision Pro for Cheating: A recurring joke throughout the episode is that wearing the headset during a trivia game provides an enormous and unfair advantage, as Marques can discreetly look up answers in real time.
- Hand Tracking Limitations: The device's hand tracking is not user-specific; it will respond to any single pair of hands it sees, a detail that has minor accessibility and security implications.
- Accessory Critique: The optional $200 carrying case is heavily criticized for its wrinkly, "puffer jacket" exterior material, which feels cheap and unappealing despite a well-designed interior.
- Apple's "Malicious Compliance": The hosts briefly break down Apple's new, intentionally confusing App Store fee structure in the EU, labeling it a perfect example of following the letter of the law while violating its spirit.
Quotes
- At 2:31 - "For long periods of time, I highly, highly, highly recommend the Dual Loop Band, for sure." - Marques offers his definitive advice on which headband to use for extended wear.
- At 60:28 - "I cannot wait for the 16-hour flight I have coming up in a month to just watch videos on the plane and not even think about what's around me." - Marques expressing his excitement for what he considers the killer app for the Vision Pro: long-haul flights.
- At 71:11 - "It is made out of what feels like puffer jacket material that's been crumpled on my college dorm room floor for like four months while I neglect to do my laundry." - Andrew giving a comically harsh critique of the $200 carrying case's wrinkled exterior material.
- At 97:51 - "My answer is uh, spin up or spin down, often denoted by negative Z or positive Z." - Marques blatantly reading the answer to a trivia question directly from his Vision Pro browser, leading to laughter from his co-hosts.
- At 98:58 - "You guys look way better in VR." - Marques's joking reaction to seeing his co-hosts in real life after taking off the headset for the first time in nearly two hours.
Takeaways
- To comfortably wear the Apple Vision Pro for more than a brief period, switching to the included Dual Loop Band is non-negotiable to better distribute its weight.
- The device's most practical and compelling current use case is as an immersive personal theater for travel, particularly on long flights.
- Expensive first-party accessories are not guaranteed to be perfect, as exemplified by the $200 Vision Pro case's flawed exterior material and design.
- Apple is responding to new EU regulations with "malicious compliance," implementing changes to the App Store that technically follow the rules but do so in a deliberately confusing and difficult way.
