Source: www.imore.com
In August, iMore published two opinion pieces about what Apple needed to include in its long-rumored AR/VR headset. Each piece covered a lot of ground and mostly offered similar points. Rebecca Spear, for example, focused primarily (opens in a new tab) in compatibility, comfort and ease of use. Meanwhile, Becca Caddy focused on (opens in a new tab) about price, apps, and integration.
On Tuesday, Meta introduced the new Meta Quest Pro. No doubt this will quickly become the best VR headset in the small but growing VR market. And yet its introduction could make it easier for Apple to release something better and cover many of the points we suggested just a few weeks ago.
Five points about Meta Quest Pro stand out and are ones that Apple should positively address as it completes work on its competitor product. These points, many mentioned in previous iMore opinion pieces, include price, fit, features, battery life, and storage.
Price
The Meta Quest Pro starts at $1499, which is significant as it is much more expensive than the non-Pro version, which starts at $399. And yet, the price isn’t that high when you consider that the likes of HTC, Value and Varjo have long dominated that price space.
It had long been rumored that the product that would eventually become the Apple Watch Ultra would be priced at $1,000 or more. When the wearable device was announced, Apple priced it at $799. Apple should follow a similar pattern every time it announces its AR/VR headsets. (opens in a new tab) Most will assume that the product will be the same price as the Metra Quest Pro and similar products. shouldn’t be. Instead, Apple should go down and trade between $500 and $1,000.
Fit
I went out and bought a Meta Quest 2 earlier this year. Within two months, I sold it on eBay. The reason for abandoning it had everything to do with lack of comfort.
The Meta Quest Pro is supposed to be more comfortable than previous headphones, and I’m sure it will be. For Apple headphones to be successful, it needs to launch a comfortable product on day 1. Otherwise, traditional early adopters might miss out.
Characteristic
Many who tried the Meta Quest Pro before it was announced praised the headset for two essential features: eye tracking and its high-resolution color video streaming. Those features are meant to blur the line between virtual and augmented reality, which seems to be a huge deal and a necessary component of any product Apple has put together. However, the company needs to match Meta’s features and add some unique ones that no one has considered.
One area where Apple will have no problem outperforming Meta is on the gaming and app front. The App Store in AR/VR should be the best available. If not, there is something really wrong.
Battery duration
Oh yes, battery life is very important. At this point, it appears that Meta has struck out.
As The Verge noted (opens in a new tab), the Meta Quest Pro will only last between one and two hours between charges, with a two-hour recharge. These are terrible numbers, which probably have a lot to do with current battery limitations.
Here’s hoping Apple can squeeze a little more fun between charges into its product or at least match what Meta is doing.
storage and memory
Finally, there is storage and memory. The Meta Quest Pro comes with 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of memory. In contrast, Meta Quest 2 comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage and 6GB of memory. Any increase in any of these specifications is a step in the right direction. However, what they mean for everyday use is difficult to determine, and comparing one manufacturer against another is even more so.
For Apple to be successful, its headphones must offer enough storage for the average user and be fast enough that no one complains. If you can achieve both points, it will go a long way in determining the success of the product.
When?
We could eventually get three AR/VR headsets from Apple (opens in a new tab). However, it is difficult to determine when that happens. The new product will most likely be released sometime in 2023. When it does, we expect it to be much better than Meta Quest Pro.
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