Will the 25000 yuan Apple display be your next iPhone?

Comprehensive report on the East West Ask client

After nearly 10 years, Apple has once again released a heavyweight new product.

On the early morning of Beijing time on the 6th, Apple's 2023 World Developers Conference (WWDC) released its first MR head display device, AppleVisionPro, marking the first time Apple has launched a new product type since 2014.

This is a revolutionary product, "said Apple CEO Tim Cook, who had planned for this day for a long time and had been looking forward to it himself. This is a revolutionary product that combines the digital world and the real world, ushering in a new era of spatial computing. "Just like the Mac brought us into the era of personal computing, the iPhone brought us into the era of mobile computing, and AppleVisionPro brought us into the era of spatial computing

|VisionPro as' OneMoreThing '

"One more thing" is a classic saying of Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple. Back then, Steve Jobs always said "One More Thing" coolly near the end of a press conference and brought the biggest surprise. And this year, as the protagonist of "Onemorething", it is the long-awaited AppleVisionPro.

In the movie 'Number One Player', the protagonists wear a 'VR glasses' to enter a virtual world called' Oasis', where they can experience various games and embark on a 'Second Life'. The VisionPro released this time is somewhat similar to the "VR glasses" in "Top Player", indicating that a brand new virtual world is about to appear in front of consumers.

VisionPro is a product that Apple has been developing for a long time, and its delayed release also indicates the technical difficulty of the product. The VisionPro that finally debuted has many technological innovations. VisionPro has removed the controller, allowing users to control everything with gestures, sound, or eye tracking, a bit like a "mind" controlling everything. From the demonstration in the Apple video, it can be seen that gesture actions can be controlled by gently zooming the thumb and index finger to complete the app's operation. Eye tracking can accurately identify user intentions, helping to switch applications. Voice control can be accessed through Siri to input text and achieve some search functions.

It is worth noting that in the official press release, Apple did not define the head display device as VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), or MR (Hybrid Reality), but instead proposed the concept of "the first spatial computing system platform", which is also Apple's positioning for VisionPro. Spatial computing refers to seamlessly blending the digital world and the real world, allowing the two worlds to perceive, understand, and interact with each other, creating unprecedented experiences.

From a functional perspective, VisionPro covers at least four major usage scenarios, including viewing, gaming, office, home, and more. In Apple's official demo video, users can watch special effects blockbusters such as "Star Wars" in person and also watch multiple sports games simultaneously. It is reported that Disney will provide streaming services for it; In terms of office work, VisionPro can project a screen similar to a modern desktop to replace a computer monitor, allowing users to type using devices such as keyboards.

|The selling price of over 20000 has not yet reached the "consumer level"

The VisionPro, announced by Apple, starts at $3499 (approximately RMB 24800) and will be launched in the United States early next year and in other global markets later next year.

The Wall Street Journal stated that Apple's pricing is far higher than its competitors. Not long ago, Meta released its competitor Quest3, with a starting price of only $499.99. Even the most high-end QuestPro had a starting price of only $1499.99.

The price of 20000 yuan may only be aimed at professional users, "said Zhong Xinlong, a senior consultant at the Institute of Information Technology and Software Industry at CCID Think Tank. If Apple continues to leverage its closed ecological advantages and upgrade its quality, it may become a consumer killer in the future, and the key lies in whether it can meet the actual needs of consumers.

Some media also pointed out that innovative products go through a process from being a "tool" to a "toy" from birth to maturity. Early users often rely on the niche positioning of the product and are prone to accepting high prices. With the deepening of research and development and the stability of the supply chain, consumer feedback can feed back production, form economies of scale, and cross the threshold of consumer grade products.

|Or it may disrupt the XR industry

At present, consumer electronics is in a bottleneck period of innovation. Not only Apple, but the entire industry needs "Onemorething". This long-awaited product in the industry hopes that its innovation can lead the metaverse terminal to embark on a new path and help the entire industry develop better.

In fact, the development of the headphone display industry has been tepid for many years, and this time Apple's "big show" seems to have pierced the industry ceiling. Some industry insiders believe that it will continue the industry for at least ten years.

From past experience, whenever Apple launches a new product, it will bring great stimulation to the existing market and become one of the leading brands in that market. The launch of VisionPro not only stimulates the attention of ordinary consumers to XR products, but also triggers a wave of developer research and development, and can even create popular or "killer" applications in the XR field, all of which drive the development of products and the industry.

Since 2016, Cook has frequently expressed his excitement about augmented reality technology in public. For example, he once emphasized, "AR is like three meals a day, it will become a part of your life. Many of us live on our smartphones, and the iPhone is very important to everyone, so augmented reality will become very big

According to Counterpoint's report, the shipment volume of XR head displays (including AR, VR, MR) in China in 2022 exceeded 1.1 million units. Among them, VR remains the dominant player in the XR market, accounting for over 95% of total shipments in 2022. At present, Pico ranks first in the domestic market, with a market share of 43%; Next is Dapeng VR, with a market share of 36%; IQiyi, HTC, and NOLO have market shares of 9%, 5%, and 2%, respectively.

Zhao Siquan, a senior analyst at International Data Corporation (IDC) in China, believes that the new Apple product release has important guiding significance for the entire AR/VR industry in terms of product hardware characteristics, content ecology upgrade direction, and new technology development in the industry chain. As one of the most important new products in 2023, Apple's official entry will accelerate the evolution of AR/VR devices from entertainment tools to productivity tools. (End)

Comprehensive Zhongxin Jingwei, China News Weekly, Securities Times, Daily Economic News, etc

Editing: directional light