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You could buy two Vision Pros at that price and still have change to spare…
I’m not sure whether to call this prohibitive pricing or to just keep scrolling without reacting viscerally, but the folks at Caviar, in their infinite wisdom, have created a version of the iPhone 15 Pro that’s so ludicrously expensive it actually makes the $3500 Vision Pro look affordable. The ‘Vision’ is Caviar’s latest customized iPhone model, designed to pay homage to the Vision Pro. Its rear comes embellished with Vision Pro-inspired details, featuring a close-up of the nose-ridge, along with speaker and camera details along the edge, and a diamond-knurled surface on the top. The entire iPhone’s backplate is machined from Titanium (unlike the regular iPhone which has a glass back), and detailed with jewelry-grade enamel. The collection is limited to just 99 units, and Caviar says it’s perfect for people who want an iPhone that complements their Vision Pro. That’s if you’ve got any money left over from purchasing the spatial computing headset in the first place…
Designer: Caviar
The Vision’s overall appeal lies entirely in the design of its backplate. Under the hood, it’s still your standard 128Gb iPhone 15 Pro with all the features intact. Caviar just takes liberties with redesigning the exterior surface, sometimes embellishing it with rare materials like gold, diamonds, and other jewel-worthy accouterments. With the Vision, while you don’t get any gemstones per-se, you do get an edgy, futuristic-looking backplate that complements your spatial headset. The drawback, however, is the fact that it costs 80 Benjamins (and some more) and you can’t wirelessly charge the Vision because of the metal back.
At this point, discussing the Vision any further becomes a moot point just because of that price tag. Strangely enough, the Vision is still cheaper than some of Caviar’s other custom iPhone models… but ultimately you’re paying for a luxury statement-piece more than anything. People who splurge on Caviar phones are pretty much the creme-de-la-creme of society, with yachts and private jets to their name.
The Caviar iPhone Vision starts at $8060 for the 128Gb model. If you want to upgrade to models with higher storage, the price goes up significantly (why, I don’t know since it isn’t like Caviar’s got anything to do with the storage). The 1TB iPhone Vision has an eye-watering price tag of $9060. Just for context, with that much money, you could buy high-end versions of every Apple product and probably still have enough money to spare for a top-tier iCloud+ and Apple Care subscription.
The post Caviar’s Custom iPhone 15 Pro Has A Vision Pro-inspired Design And A Ridiculous $8060 Price Tag first appeared on Yanko Design.
Feel free to call it the “Spatial KitKat Hypothesis”…
The Apple Vision Pro wasn’t designed to bend, but when you’ve got two straps pulling on the massive headset from either side with a human head in the middle acting as a wedge of sorts, the headset’s bound to feel some stress at its weakest point. Theoretically, that weakest point lies at the nose bridge, or the narrowest part of the Vision Pro’s design. If you imagine the Vision Pro to be a massive KitKat, or a Toblerone, or any bar of chocolate for that matter, it’s usually the narrowest part that’s designed to snap, resulting in a perfectly broken piece of chocolate. The problem here, however, is that this particular ‘chocolate’ is a cutting-edge spatial computer that costs upwards of $3500.
It seems like Apple products don’t really have great luck when it comes to structural soundness. If you remember exactly 10 years ago, #BendGate was plaguing the 2014 iPhone 6, a scandal that arose after people found their iPhones bending in their pockets when they sat down. Sure, Apple worked hard to fix the iPhone 6’s flimsy design (in part because people were just walking into Apple Stores and folding iPhones in half), but #bendgate still lives on in infamy, especially through its latest avatar, or what people are calling #CrackGate. Multiple users are reporting that the Vision Pro’s glass is cracking almost perfectly down the center, for no apparent reason. The crack runs almost perfectly symmetrically, going from the nose upwards, causing an extremely visible fault line right down the center. While it doesn’t seem to affect the Vision Pro’s actual functionality, it’s just like getting a scratch right down the side of your Lamborghini, emotionally gut-wrenching.
The reason, however, isn’t really clear (in part because Apple hasn’t officially addressed the issue or offered repairs), but multiple users have their own theories. Some sleuths noticed that the crack almost always emerges right near the LiDAR sensor, causing speculations that the invisible light from the sensor may be weakening the glass. Others claim it’s a heat-related issue, caused by the fact that most people don’t turn their Vision Pros off after using it for the day, causing it to heat up and the aluminum frame to expand, cracking the glass. The latter theory makes much more sense than the former, but there’s yet another issue that could just contribute to the glass’ structural weakness, and its most simple explanation lies in the shape of a KitKat bar.
Unless you’re an absolute psychopath who chomps right into the KitKat bar, chances are you follow the protocol of breaking it down its linear ridge, creating individual KitKat fingers that you can easily eat. The bar’s practically designed for this interaction, allowing you to snap off individual ‘batons’ that you can either share or eat on your own. The physics behind this design is as simple as it gets. The individual fingers are connected by a small valley of chocolate, which can easily be snapped with little pressure. The reason the KitKat always breaks at this ridge is because it’s easily the most vulnerable part of the chocolate bar. Similarly, the Vision Pro has the same problem. The ‘nose bridge’ on the front is where the Vision Pro’s glass panel is at its narrowest. Apply enough stress to the area and chances are, just like a KitKat bar, it’ll break there first.
Heat could be a contributing factor to this structural weakness, but let’s not forget, the Vision Pro comes with a headband that’s secured to its sides. Wear the Vision Pro on your face, and the headbands tug on the headset from the left and right, while your face being the solid mass it is, applies forward pressure. The rest of the Vision Pro is made from Aluminum, a material famous for being able to bend easily (no points for guessing what the iPhone 6 was made of), but glass – especially curved and hardened glass like the one on the front of the Vision Pro – isn’t really susceptible to bending. The result? A crack at its weakest point, caused by people wearing the headset too tight, coupled with the obvious heat issues because people don’t turn their Vision Pro off every night.
There are two solutions to this problem – the first comes from MKBHD and a bunch of other tech experts, who recommend turning the Vision Pro off after use and disconnecting the battery pack every night so the headset doesn’t keep running and heat up. The second solution is much more obvious, and is an indication of Apple’s hubris. In the pursuit of creating ‘the greatest spatial device ever seen’, Apple’s premium choice of materials is biting them in their backside. The Vision Pro’s aluminum structure is notoriously heavy, causing neck fatigue for people wearing it for long hours… but more importantly, the use of glass on the front seemed highly unnecessary. A well-polished plastic facade on the front would have worked just as fine, even if it didn’t line up with Apple’s ‘luxury’ image. It would have been stronger, easier to produce, and would probably have helped Apple cut costs and boost profits – to the benefit of the consumer. Instead, Apple’s being predictably silent while multiple users are fuming at the prospect of having a difficult-to-ignore crack on their rather expensive $3500 headset.
The post Some Apple Vision Pros are cracking down the center. To understand why, look at the shape of the KitKat bar. first appeared on Yanko Design.
Apple has entered a new product category with the Vision Pro. The expensive eyewear, positioned to transport us into the future of VR, is an expensive deal to begin with at $3,499. So, ripping something of that value apart to just reveal how repairable it is and to what it packs within that makes it worthy of making Apple a new category giant may seem obnoxious to us.
But that’s little of a deterrent for the folks at iFixit, who pride in tearing down the latest gadgets to see how easy or difficult it is to repair them and examine what makes it a favorite. In that scheme of things, iFixit has put its heating guns and prying tools to use to tear open Apple’s new tech marvel. What they see is pretty straightforward: a few easy-to-remove parts and then complicated screws, connectors, and seals to get past before fully revealing the impressive cameras and more.
Designer: iFixit
Between the easy take offs and the intricate connectors, the Vision Pro – iFixit teardown reveals – has some unbelievable tech crammed. Some of this is never seen before, especially the advanced EyeSight display which it is discovered uses several videos of the wearer’s eyes simultaneously.
As the iFixit video runs through the teardown it shows Apple’s new AR/VR headset is similarly detailed and intriguing as the other Apple devices. So, the process of tearing it down is not easy and required a heat gun, screwdrivers, prying tools, and lots of effort. But as you’ll see, the effort is worth appreciating.
First up, the video suggests the customizable face cushion, light seals are easy to pull off, while the power chord has to be turned to unlock. The device’s knit band pops easily off the headgear stems, from the integrated latch. Stem with speakers disassemble the eye housing swiftly as well leaving the cameras, sensors, battery, R1 chip, and EyeSight display to take a look into.
This is according to iFixit the first scratch of the detailed teardown that would be revealed in the near future. The initial teardown however shows that the Vision Pro is inside out what we have heard of. It has some high-end tech within its small form factor, but it will require some elbow grease to repair.
The post Apple Vision Pro iFixit teardown reveals what’s inside and how it works first appeared on Yanko Design.
A throne worthy of a $3500 face-computer.
Sure, the Apple Vision Pro got its first accessory in the form of a protective cover… but what the high-end spatial computing device desperately needs is a stand to dock and highlight the beauty of Apple’s latest and most impressive gadget. The Vision Pro stand by Sy Wong fills the void with its gorgeously slick design that highlights your headset without eating too much table real estate. Quite akin to a headphone stand, the Vision Pro stand has your headset hanging vertically, along with a docking station for the accompanying battery pack.
Designer: Sy Wong
The stand’s specific shape allows it to support the Vision Pro’s contoured cushion with ease. The stand’s steel platform only makes contact with the plush cushion, ensuring that no part of the stand comes in contact with the glass or metal components of the Vision Pro. Meanwhile, a dedicated dock for the Vision Pro’s battery pack keeps it close to the headset, allowing you to easily lift and wear the entire setup or dock it back after a spatial session.
The beauty of Sy Wong’s stand lies not just in its overall visual simplicity, but also its glorious chrome-plated finish. The stand comes crafted from stainless steel (or at least that’s what Wong mentions on their Behance page), with an immaculate chrome finish that rivals the kind you see Apple’s own accessories (like the handles on the Mac Pro, or even those $700 wheels).
For the select few who’ve bought the Vision Pro, unfortunately, Sy Wong’s stand is just a concept… so you’re going to have to either place the expensive headset on your desk *shudder*, back in its box after every use, or buy the $299 soft-shell case for the headset and battery pack. Apple hasn’t announced any other major accessories for the Vision Pro, although the market is ripe for stands like the one Sy Wong designed… or this neck-worn power bank that’s a whole lot better than Apple’s own battery pack.
The post The $3500 Apple Vision Pro deserves this gorgeous chrome-plated metal stand first appeared on Yanko Design.
It seems unbelievable that Pokemon GO debuted a stunning 8 years ago… but if you remember the year 2016, you’ll also remember what a massive phenomenon it was. The game singlehandedly revived the relatively flatlined mobile gaming industry, uniting millions of players around the world and actually getting them to step out of their houses. Most importantly, however, it proved to be the PERFECT embodiment of the potential mixed reality killer app. The Apple Vision Pro, which begins deliveries starting 2nd of February, currently lacks that killer app… and a strategic partnership between Apple and Nintendo (just like their partnership with Disney) could really give the Vision Pro the killer app it needs – Mixed Reality Pokemon (or ‘Spatial Computing’ if you’re one of Apple’s vocabulary purists).
This game demo, designed by Thailand-based Kumpanat Samkumlue, explores the many benefits and features of Apple’s spatial computing push. The company boasted quite a few features like realistic rendering, voice commands, and gesture inputs – all that would complement the game perfectly. Imagine seeing Pokemon battling on your coffee table, with the ability to hold and throw Pokeballs during fights, or even give vocal commands to your Pokemon mid-battle. The UI (and even the UX) lend themself PERFECTLY to the Vision Pro, which would vastly benefit from this smash success game. Heck, it would put the Vision Pro leaps and bounds ahead of Meta’s own Quest headsets, which lack their own Pokemon game too (but have other killer-app-worthy experiences like Beat Saber, Supernatural, and more recently, Assassin’s Creed).
Designer: Kumpanat Samkumlue
“Imagine turning your home into a Pokémon playground, where you can use cutting-edge technology like Apple Vision Pro or Oculus Quest 3 to embark on thrilling Pokémon adventures right on your tabletop. With this fan-made version, I bring to life the idea of playing a Pokémon game in Mixed Reality (MR), Inspiration from the popular Pokémon Sword and Shield games,” says designer Kumpanat. “Transforming Your Home into a Pokémon Playground: A Vision for Tabletop Pokémon Adventures in Mixed Reality. Catch ’em, battle ’em, and explore ’em—all in your own space with voice commands or a controller magic!”
What Pokemon GO did for mixed reality gaming on the phone, it can absolutely do for the Vision Pro too. Sure, your first instinct is to dismiss the idea that a Pokemon game could make a $3500 headset more desirable, but here’s what we aren’t thinking of. The point isn’t to sell more units of the Vision Pro headsets… the point is to give spatial computing its Killer App, which in turn helps the entire headset category. Apple’s rumored to be working on a cheaper, more consumer-friendly model of the Vision Pro too… and this game would pretty much etch its commercial success in stone.
The post Apple Vision Pro’s Spatial Computing needs a Killer App… and it should be a Pokemon Game first appeared on Yanko Design.
Although it’s definitely the latecomer, Apple is unsurprisingly stirring up a storm with the launch of the Vision Pro. Mixed reality, or spatial computing as Apple named it, is en vogue once again, and many companies are making a lot of noise to demonstrate how they’ve been playing the game long before the Vision Pro was even announced. That boast comes with the implication that they can offer a better experience and a more accessible product, like this visor-like Visor headset that’s trying to be a better Vision Pro than the Vision Pro with a more open platform, a more stylish design, and most importantly, a more affordable price tag.
Designer: Immersed
Although the Apple Vision Pro is definitely more stylish than other mixed reality headsets, it’s still a headset that leaves nothing to the imagination about what you’re wearing or doing. Visor, on the other hand, looks more like its namesake, at least outwardly. Despite the spectacle-like design, it actually bears 4K micro OLED displays per eye, a lot more than what the Visor Pro boasts. And yet the headset itself manages to weigh only 200g, more than half what the Meta Quest 3 weighs. And yes, it has an external battery to help keep the weight down.
Beyond just the design of the device itself, the Visor offers a completely different experience from the likes of the Vision Pro or even the new Xreal Air 2 Ultra that was announced at CES 2024 earlier this month. It neither runs its own operating system nor does it just mirror the screen of a computer. Instead, it harnesses Immersed’s mixed reality software that it has been developing for years that practically gives you virtual monitors spread across your vision, resulting in a wider field of view compared to the common smart glasses implementation.
What this means in practice is that you can keep on using the software and operating system you’re already familiar with without any limitations. In fact, Immersed says it won’t even block attempts to make SteamVR work with its device, even though its focus is more towards productivity and professional use. Visor doesn’t even have an app marketplace, but it will release development tools for sideloading apps later on.
If Visor’s $399.99 price tag sounds too good to be true, that’s because it somewhat is. That cheap figure actually requires you to also buy a “Membership Plus” subscription that will cost $59.99 a month for 12 months or $39.99 for 24 months. The good news is that you won’t lose access to the basic features of the device if you decide not to renew after that period. Alternatively, you can buy the device alone for a full $999.99, without any of the extras, which is still a lot cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro. Whether it can deliver all these promises, however, is something we’ll have to see in due time, no pun intended.
The post Visor mixed reality headset promises a more accessible Apple Vision Pro first appeared on Yanko Design.
As the Vision Pro begins rolling out exactly a week from now, news is making way of what users can expect on the game-changing XR headset, and surprisingly enough, some companies have expressly mentioned that their apps won’t be available on the Vision Pro’s app store. Notably, apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify (among others) have announced a soft-boycott of the device. Instead of dedicated versions of the apps, they will only be available through the Vision Pro’s browser, offering a less-than-ideal experience as compared to more tailor-made apps like Disney+, which Apple formally partnered with over the Vision Pro.
Designer: Harshita Jajani
However, that hasn’t stopped designers from making their own versions of popular apps (like this Spotify app) for the XR headset. When Apple debuted the Vision Pro in June last year, it spoke highly of its passthrough interface that practically blurred the lines between reality and digitalism. These UX concepts explore that aspect of spatial computing, putting virtual elements in real spaces in a way that feels incredibly believable.
Designed by Harshita Jajani, this unofficial Netflix ‘app’ for the Vision Pro shows how immersive the streaming service could look in a spatial environment. Jajani took parts of the Netflix interface, translating them rather wonderfully into a style synonymous with the Vision Pro’s digital glass interface. The Netflix app features those classic rounded corners, translucent frosted windows, and the ability to shift from a window screen to a much more immersive full-periphery view.
Maybe Netflix will relent after a few months of withholding on the app, but only time will tell. Disney CEO Bob Iger promised a ‘magical’ experience with the Disney+ app (which will come bundled with the Vision Pro), and if anything Netflix’s own app for the Meta Quest is arguably one of the most immersive and fun experiences out there. However, until that happens, these concepts help fill that void. A void that feels like a lot after you spend $3600 on hardware!
The post Netflix won’t be coming to the Vision Pro, but here’s what the streaming app could look like in spatial VR first appeared on Yanko Design.
Virtually everyone who’s tried the Vision Pro has mentioned one pain-point, its external battery pack. Designed to strap to your Vision Pro like an IV drip for your headset, this battery pack isn’t particularly elegantly designed. It’s a rather heavy metal cuboid that’s tethered to your headset, and the only way to elegantly store it while in use is to slide it into your pocket – leaving a sole wire that dangles from your head to your waist, coming in the way of your hand while you move around.
It’s almost like Apple WANTS you to know that they’re great at primary products but terrible at accessories, after various debacles surrounding the questionable designs of the Magic Mouse, the Air Power Mat, the Gen 1 Apple Pencil’s charging solution, and the carrying case for the AirPods Max. The Vision Pro’s battery pack is yet another example of Apple’s questionable approach to product functionality, but it seems like ZyberVR has a better fix. The Neck Power Bank, as its name suggests, straps two lithium-ion battery packs around your neck. Perfect for spatial computing, this power bank rests naturally along the curve of your neck, and connects to your AR/VR headset via a rather short cable. It’s an elegant solution to a rather simple problem, and even allows you to move around unencumbered.
Designer: Kylin Wu
The Neck Power Bank assumes the familiar horseshoe shape of a neck pillow, a pair of sporty earphones, or one of those neck-worn air conditioners. The power bank boasts a fresh and ergonomic design that sets it apart from the rest. Featuring a flexible center frame, it simplifies the process of unfolding and wearing it comfortably around your neck. Prioritizing ergonomic principles, it skillfully redistributes weight onto your shoulders, effectively relieving neck strain. The product seamlessly conforms to your shoulder’s natural curve, ensuring a secure fit during physical activities and minimizing unwanted shaking. This cutting-edge design departs from convention, effectively eliminating the discomfort often associated with prolonged use and offering users a more convenient, stable, and enjoyable charging experience.
With a robust overall capacity of 10,000mAh, the neck-worn device ensures a seamless 2-3 hours of XR device use, freeing users from battery anxiety. Additionally, the Neck Power Bank packs a removable 5000mAh backup battery that can be hot-swapped during use. Thanks to the quick-release switch, users can effortlessly swap out a depleted battery in a matter of seconds. The removed battery can be charged independently, guaranteeing uninterrupted power and catering to the demands of power users.
A USB-C port allows you to connect the power bank to a host of AR/VR headsets like Meta’s Quest series, Sony’s PlayStation VR, or even other devices like headphones or even your smartphone. ZyberVR even boasts compatibility with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset, although you’d need a proprietary connector cable that can attach to the Vision Pro (which launches February 2nd). That shouldn’t take time, as Apple would probably want third-party manufacturers to build out accessories to make the headset more lucrative. After all, if they want developers to start building a software ecosystem around the product… a hardware ecosystem would surely help contribute to the Vision Pro’s eventual success!
The post This Neck-worn Power Bank for the Vision Pro may be better than Apple’s own battery pack first appeared on Yanko Design.
If you’re one of those that are excited for the upcoming mixed reality headset from Apple called Vision Pro, you’ll be pleased to know that they have won 70 more design patents that may be used as official accessories. With the headset set to make its debut in early 2024, those who will be early adapters are also looking at what else they can add to enhance the experience of using it. And if you like protecting your gadgets, they may be releasing an official cover for it too.
Designer: Apple
One of the patents that Apple has reportedly won is a cover for their upcoming “spatial computing” device. It uses a soft-touch woven fabric material and is designed to fit in with the device design-wise so that it won’t be too bulky or too out of place. The main function is for it to protect the most vulnerable parts of the gear. It will help you avoid scratches and debris in the front and sides of your headset but it also leaves the back part and the Light Seal clear so it won’t interfere with your viewing and computing experience.
The cover will be able to make sure the EyeSight display will be protected while not hindering the user from actually seeing what needs to be seen. There is also a tab on the left side which will make it easy to remove it in case you don’t need the cover while using the headset. Based on some product renders, the cover does seem to be integrated well into the Vision Pro and maybe even making it cooler.
We can expect a slew of accessories for the upcoming Apple device that should make AR and VR more accessible and usable for the average person. Whether they’re “official” ones from Apple or from popular third-party accessory brands like CASETiFY, expect to be flooded with these add-ons even before you decide whether you’re getting a Vision Pro or not.
The post Apple Vision Pro first accessory might be a protective cover first appeared on Yanko Design.