Apple Vision Pro’s Surprising Killer App: Kitchen Timers

The Vision Pro: Apple’s Boldest Venture Since the iPhone

Apple has finally unveiled its most audacious product since the iPhone in 2007: the Apple Vision Pro, a spatial computer that transcends the realm of traditional VR headsets. Despite its hefty price tag of $3,499, preorders were snapped up within minutes, with estimates suggesting that up to 200,000 units were sold before a single average consumer had the chance to try one out.

The Killer App: Kitchen Timers?

Brace yourself for the Vision Pro’s most groundbreaking feature: kitchen timers. Yes, you read that right. It’s akin to placing virtual Post-It notes on your cookware, minus the risk of them falling into your soup or sparking a fire. Because, well, they don’t actually exist in the physical world.

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The Wall Street Journal‘s senior personal technology columnist, Joanna Stern, courageously donned a Vision Pro on CNBC, revealing that one of the most impressive experiences was cooking with it. She could set timers directly above the pots, offering a glimpse into the future of culinary adventures. Stern later tweeted about this revelatory moment on X.

The Timeless Appeal of Timers

As much as it pains me to admit, Stern has a point. Virtual hovering timers that remain steadfast even when you glance away to check stock prices or interact with an AR dinosaur are indeed one of the more compelling real-world applications for Apple Vision Pro. Just try to ignore the potential for sauce splatters on the aluminum grilles or stubborn turmeric stains on those iconic Apple white components.

Trapped in a Kitchen Timer Purgatory

As someone who began covering tech full-time in 2008, just as Android was taking its first steps, I’ve witnessed the evolution of mobile technology firsthand. From the excitement surrounding the rise of app stores to the promise of smartwatches as the next frontier, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next groundbreaking innovation.

However, it seems that we’ve found ourselves stuck in a kitchen-timer-themed purgatory. Smartwatches, once heralded as the miniature embodiment of the smartphone revolution, have largely been reduced to glorified kitchen timers. A 2023 survey by MacSparky revealed that timers are the most common use for the Apple Watch among tech-savvy users. Similarly, a 2016 “Smartwatch in Vivo” study by the University of Stockholm’s Mobile Life Center highlighted kitchen timers as a key way this technology integrates into daily life.

In Figure 5 we can see a cooking activity involving a couple, where one grates cheese. The cheese grating only takes a few seconds during which the alarm goes off on the other person’s watch,

the study thrillingly describes.

Apple Vision Pro: A Technological Marvel or a Glorified Kitchen Timer?

The IoT Revolution: Echoes and Timers

In the mid-2010s, the Internet of Things (IoT) was the buzzword on everyone’s lips, much like AI is today. Mainstream media heralded it as a game-changer, proclaiming that life would never be the same again. However, for the average consumer, the IoT revolution manifested primarily in the form of Amazon Echos flooding homes, serving as glorified kitchen timers.

According to a 2016 Experian study, the two most popular Amazon Echo activities were setting timers (84.9% of users) and playing songs (82.4%). While IoT has found applications in city infrastructure and agriculture, companies like Apple have been searching for the next big thing in consumer tech. If the Apple Vision Pro turns out to be just another kitchen timer, it may face a bleak future.

Spatial Computing: The New Frontier for Work?

Apple touts spatial computing as the future of work with the Vision Pro, but a closer look reveals some potential drawbacks. Controlling the device involves looking at something and tapping your thumb and forefinger together, which may not be as intuitive or efficient as traditional input methods.

“The biggest adjustment is only being able to control exactly what you’re looking at. I don’t think people realize how often they’re controlling things they are not looking exactly, directly looking, at with other computers and other UIs.”

Typing on the Vision Pro is limited to using the index finger of each hand, which may feel like relearning to type as part of a physiotherapy exercise. Most users will likely resort to connecting a physical keyboard while using a virtual rendering of their Mac screen, which they probably have open in front of them anyway.

The Uncanny Valley of Video Calls

The Vision Pro’s “Persona” feature, which displays a version of your face on the headset’s exterior OLED panel during video calls, falls short of expectations. The animated representation of your face is more akin to a Sony PS3-grade rendering than a real-time video feed, creating an unsettling uncanny valley effect.

This feature paints a disconcerting picture of a future where we are funneled into reading AI-generated books and communicating with animated JPEGs of friends we no longer meet in person, all while the polar ice caps melt and floodwaters rise.

A Technological Triumph

Despite its potential shortcomings in practical applications, the Apple Vision Pro is an undeniable technological achievement. The headset boasts an impressive 60 pixels per degree (ppd) visual clarity, thanks to its micro-OLED displays, setting a new benchmark for VR headset screen quality.

With an estimated resolution of 3280 x 3508 pixels per eye (a total of 6560 x 3508 pixels), the Vision Pro delivers stunning visuals. Even more impressive is the device’s passthrough technology, which provides a remarkably clear view of the user’s surroundings, even in low-light conditions.

The Vision Pro’s outer cameras capture 90 frames per second of image data, a feat that requires significant processing power and optimization. While the passthrough quality may vary depending on the lighting conditions, it still outperforms most other devices in its class.

Apple’s engineers deserve praise for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with mixed reality technology. However, the question remains: will the Apple Vision Pro find its place as a revolutionary tool for work and entertainment, or will it be relegated to the role of an expensive, high-tech kitchen timer?

Apple’s Vision Pro: A Departure from Fun and Frivolity

Apple’s eagerly anticipated Vision Pro headset is a marvel of engineering, boasting an array of cutting-edge features that promise to redefine the virtual reality landscape. However, in a characteristically Apple move, the company has eschewed the lighthearted, entertaining aspects that have made competitors like the Meta Quest 3 and PlayStation VR 2 so popular among consumers.

No Room for Games or Netflix

Conspicuously absent from the Vision Pro’s launch are announcements of compatibility with the wealth of VR gaming titles available on rival platforms. Even more surprisingly, there’s no dedicated Netflix app, with the streaming giant confirming that users will have to access the service via the headset’s web browser, much like they would on a Mac computer.

Premium Materials, Premium Weight

Apple’s penchant for high-end materials is on full display with the Vision Pro, which features a sleek combination of aluminum, magnesium alloy, and glass. However, this commitment to premium construction comes at a cost: the headset weighs up to 26 percent more than the Meta Quest 3. And that’s not even taking into account the 300-plus-gram battery pack that users are expected to carry in their back pocket, a design choice that Apple seems reluctant to draw attention to.

There is no fitness-related marketing angle for Vision Pro. It’s simply too heavy. No one wants to exert themselves with a 650g device strapped to their face. Someday Apple will make a fitness-suitable Vision headset; this Vision Pro is not it.

As noted by John Gruber of Daring Fireball, the Vision Pro’s heft makes it ill-suited for fitness applications, a use case that has proven popular among Meta Quest users.

A Narrow, Prescriptive Vision

Apple’s approach to the Vision Pro seems to be one of deliberate differentiation from existing VR hardware, emphasizing its groundbreaking advancements while downplaying the continuity with current offerings. This strategy is understandable given the billions in losses incurred by Meta‘s VR division, but it remains to be seen whether the Vision Pro’s feature set will be compelling enough to attract a broad user base beyond the most ardent Apple enthusiasts.

The Future of Vision Pro

Despite these limitations, the allure of the Vision Pro remains undeniable. As a first-generation product, it represents a tantalizing glimpse into the future of virtual reality, and its potential for innovation and refinement is vast. While it may not be the ultimate VR headset just yet, it’s an exciting step forward that has tech enthusiasts eagerly anticipating what Apple has in store for subsequent iterations.