Imagine being able to tune into class whenever you want with just a swipe of your fingers. With Apple’s new Vision Pro, you can have the ability to transition from your bedroom to a completely new space in a matter of seconds.

   The Apple Vision Pro, at its core, is similar to the iPhone and Mac, with similar functionality to both of the devices. The headset and the battery cost a hefty $3,200, over $2,500 more than their closest competitors such as the Meta Quest 3. 

  The Vision Pro is unique in its usage of augmented reality to project apps into the real world. Augmented reality enables the user to interact with the virtual world in tandem with the real one. Through many cameras, the Vision Pro works in real-time, picking up movements from outside and displaying them on the screen. Additionally, the Vision Pro is able to use eye tracking instead of controllers to manipulate the screen.

   “The fact that we are getting really good eye tracking is really exciting because of the plethora of entertainment opportunities,” said Paul Sapilewski, a junior at Pinewood.

   Using both augmented reality and eye tracking, the Vision Pro allows users to lock timers above cooking pans, multitask multiple items and set alarms beside the bed. The Vision Pro also fits well with the rest of the Apple ecosystem, with the ability to pair with a laptop in order to use the keyboard while also displaying the screen on your headset.

   However, the Vision Pro is not just a product but also a foundation for the future of augmented reality. 

   “There could be some powerful applications on the horizon. I think it is an exciting time, but with all new innovations, there is a cost,” said Bill Bates, Director of Technology at Pinewood.

   Comparable to the introduction of the iPhone and iPod, the release of the Vision Pro introduces new tech in order to simplify daily life. Combining the laptop’s functionality and the TV’s entertainment abilities, the Vision Pro consolidates these features into one headset that makes life easier for the user. Whether the Vision Pro succeeds or fails, it provides the building blocks for a more compact and technologically advanced device in the future.

   Seventeen years ago, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone as a way to combine the iPod, the phone and the internet all in one device. Jobs proclaimed to reinvent the phone with his new device. Now the Vision Pro follows in the footsteps of the iPhone and reinvents the computer.