4 ms·

Apple won’t release this product unless it is mind blowing. If Bloomberg’s reporting is true, then we should all be looking forward to a very cool demo at WWDC

by ttul 4y ago

Apple won’t release this product unless it is mind blowing. If Bloomberg’s reporting is true, then we should all be looking forward to a very cool demo at WWDC and an incredible product some time in 2023. Very few people predicted the iPhone accurately before its launch. And it’s reasonable to say the iPhone blew minds because Apple figured out multitouch AND reduced the latency of the interface to the extend required so that it felt natural to use. If they mail AR in the same way, they will have the next iPhone. I am bullish on the prospect of this happening.

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pharke 4y ago
I'm not so sure. I think they will deliver something but I have a feeling that Meta is going to beat them to the punch as far as a productivity focused device is concerned. Meta might wind up with most of the market share while Apple trails them although I'm sure that most people who own a MacBook Pro will buy an Apple headset as well. I think this is more of a PC vs Mac situation than it is Android vs iPhone.
- Petersipoi 4y ago
  I would be shocked if Meta can convince the masses to buy their headset over Apple's. If Meta tries to beat Apple on price, their headset won't be very capable and won't be much different than what is already out there (which the masses aren't interested in). If they try to compete with Apple by releasing a similarly priced and similarly capable headset, Apple wins every time. I think you're underestimating how much people dislike Meta/Facebook/Zuck. And I'm not just referring to techies either. "Normal" people hate them too.
- dvngnt_ 4y ago
  meta has the head start, but never bet against apple for revenue. VR is still new for casuals. if apple releases new hardware people will buy it and you'll see an explosion of devs creating apps for it.
Deritiod 4y ago
I do not share.your enthusiasm. Apple buyers are not necessarily tech savvy (from a percentage perspective). They use their high end phones for normal consumer things. I have a hard time imagining what a normal person would want to do with VR/are glasses. Showing your face in a Videochat? Not being able to show your face? Playing games? I would assume that there is still a lot of apple people not playing anything than casual games.
whakim 4y ago
I think the iPhone isn't the only possible comparison here. Sure, the iPhone blew minds, but what about the iPad? Apple Watch? Airpods? Apple TV? None of these are bad devices (in fact, they're all pretty solid) - they're just niche devices and limited in the way the iPhone wasn't/isn't. I'd expect the headset to be similar.
krrrh 4y ago
I feel the same way but it’s also worth remembering that while the first iPhone was a hit amongst early adopters, it didn’t really become ubiquitous until the 4 or 4S, which were also vastly superior devices which had a few years of iterations based on experience of early adopters. The same is true of the Apple Watch, which also blew away the competition on first release, and was still called a failure but was a sleeper hit, by itself a larger business than most of Apple’s competitors. I expect Apple’s AR product to be functional, and dubbed a niche failure by the tech commentariat, but by 2026 really start to eat into the smartphone market. Meta and Google are just less capable of making humane software, and while they may release slightly better devices from a technical perspective they’ll miss out on the light touch that such an immersive experience will require for normal people to feel comfortable with it.

by ttul 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

pharke 4y ago

I'm not so sure. I think they will deliver something but I have a feeling that Meta is going to beat them to the punch as far as a productivity focused device is concerned. Meta might wind up with most of the market share while Apple trails them although I'm sure that most people who own a MacBook Pro will buy an Apple headset as well. I think this is more of a PC vs Mac situation than it is Android vs iPhone.

Petersipoi 4y ago
I would be shocked if Meta can convince the masses to buy their headset over Apple's. If Meta tries to beat Apple on price, their headset won't be very capable and won't be much different than what is already out there (which the masses aren't interested in). If they try to compete with Apple by releasing a similarly priced and similarly capable headset, Apple wins every time. I think you're underestimating how much people dislike Meta/Facebook/Zuck. And I'm not just referring to techies either. "Normal" people hate them too.
dvngnt_ 4y ago
meta has the head start, but never bet against apple for revenue. VR is still new for casuals. if apple releases new hardware people will buy it and you'll see an explosion of devs creating apps for it.

Deritiod 4y ago

I do not share.your enthusiasm. Apple buyers are not necessarily tech savvy (from a percentage perspective). They use their high end phones for normal consumer things. I have a hard time imagining what a normal person would want to do with VR/are glasses. Showing your face in a Videochat? Not being able to show your face? Playing games? I would assume that there is still a lot of apple people not playing anything than casual games.

whakim 4y ago

I think the iPhone isn't the only possible comparison here. Sure, the iPhone blew minds, but what about the iPad? Apple Watch? Airpods? Apple TV? None of these are bad devices (in fact, they're all pretty solid) - they're just niche devices and limited in the way the iPhone wasn't/isn't. I'd expect the headset to be similar.

krrrh 4y ago

I feel the same way but it’s also worth remembering that while the first iPhone was a hit amongst early adopters, it didn’t really become ubiquitous until the 4 or 4S, which were also vastly superior devices which had a few years of iterations based on experience of early adopters. The same is true of the Apple Watch, which also blew away the competition on first release, and was still called a failure but was a sleeper hit, by itself a larger business than most of Apple’s competitors. I expect Apple’s AR product to be functional, and dubbed a niche failure by the tech commentariat, but by 2026 really start to eat into the smartphone market. Meta and Google are just less capable of making humane software, and while they may release slightly better devices from a technical perspective they’ll miss out on the light touch that such an immersive experience will require for normal people to feel comfortable with it.