O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Light Seal

  • Apple announces M5-based Vision Pro, includes Dual Knit Band, faster charging, and other features

    Apple announces M5-based Vision Pro, includes Dual Knit Band, faster charging, and other features

    Amidst Apple’s bevy of new product announcements on Wednesday, the company also unveiled an updated Vision Pro headset, complete with an M5 chip and a more comfortable Dual Knit Band.

    The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and while the updated Vision Pro continues to offer 16GB of RAM, the M5 chip allows for faster performance and longer battery life compared to the previous model with the M2 chip.

    While Apple has not provided any overall performance figures, the company’s website says the Vision Pro now offers up to three hours of video playback per charge, compared to up to 2.5 hours for the previous model. In addition to improved battery life, Apple has stated that the M5 chip enables the rendering of 10 percent more pixels on the displays compared to the previous model, resulting in sharper images and crisper text. The updated Vision Pro also offers up to a 120Hz refresh rate, up from the previous version’s limit of 100Hz, which Apple says reduces motion blur and provides a smoother experience when using Mac Virtual Display.

    With the M5 chip, the Vision Pro gains hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for improved graphics rendering. These capabilities were first introduced with the M3 chip, but the previous Vision Pro only had an M2 chip.

    Other new features include the M5’s faster 16-core Neural Engine and a Neural Accelerator in each GPU core, allowing for AI features to run up to 50 percent faster than the previous Vision Pro model.

    The updated Vision Pro still has an R1 chip for input processing. The headset continues to support Wi-Fi 6, rather than Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3.

    Some things remain the same, with the new Vision Pro offering new design changes or color options. The unit still uses a tethered battery pack as opposed to a built-in battery.

    Some improvements has been paid to the comfort elements, and the updated Vision Pro arrives with the Dual Knit Band, a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions, a cover for the front of the device, and a polishing cloth. The unit still includes a battery, and a USB-C charging cable, but now offers Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, whereas the previous Vision Pro came with Apple’s discontinued 30W USB-C Power Adapter.

    The new Dual Knit Band comes in small, medium, and large sizes. It is available to purchase separately for $99, and it is compatible with the previous-generation Vision Pro. Users can find your preferred size by using the Apple Store app on the iPhone.

    Apple has stated that the new Dual Knit Band offers two straps knitted into a single piece. The upper strap goes across the top of the head, and the lower strap goes across the back of the head. The lower strap has tungsten inserts that provide a counterweight for additional comfort, balance, and stability. Users can adjust the fit of both of the straps with the Fit Dial.

    Other new changes include the availability of the Logitech Muse spatial stylus, as well as the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller, which Apple will begin selling on Tuesday, November 11.

    The updated Vision Pro became available for pre-order on Wednesday, and it will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Wednesday, October 22.

    In the U.S., the Vision Pro continues to start at $3,499, and it can be configured with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The new model is also available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the U.K., and the United Arab Emirates. Availability in South Korea and Taiwan will begin at a later date, according to Apple.

    Users can demo the new Vision Pro at an Apple Store starting October 22.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • iFixit analysis highlights Apple Vision Pro displays with 54x the pixel count of the first-gen Retina display, other technical details

    iFixit analysis highlights Apple Vision Pro displays with 54x the pixel count of the first-gen Retina display, other technical details

    You have to admit that a screen with 54 times the pixel count of the first-generation Retina screen is pretty impressive.

    Per iFixit’s in-depth teardown analysis, the company has reported that the Vision Pro has a pixel density of 3,368 ppi. While not technically 4K, the displays far surpass the first generation Retina display on the iPhone 4, which debuted in 2010. iFixit has also stated that this is “the highest-density display that we’ve ever seen,” besting the HTC Vive Pro (950 ppi) and Meta Quest 3 (1,218 ppi).

    As iFixit and Steve Jobs explained, pixel density has as much to do with pixels per inch as it does the distance the screen is from your eyes. Because the screens are so close to the user’s eyes, VR headsets measure displays in pixels per degree to generate “angular” resolution, which iFixit estimates at 34 ppd, about the same as a 65-inch television.

    Additional details of the updated teardown highlighted elements like the battery, which uses three iPhone-battery-sized packs stacked atop each other connected in series, sensors, and chips. Still when it comes to repairing and replacing broken parts, Vision Pro received a relatively low repairability score of 4 out of 10 due to its replaceable battery, and magnetic lenses and light seal.

    iFixit stated that there is much room for improvement: “Our hope is that, by the time these things get shrunken into a pair of eyeglasses, repairability won’t be something tacked on at the end, but a fundamental design tenet. If face goggles really are the future of computing, then we need to get this right from the very beginning.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via Macworld and iFixit

  • First Apple Vision Pro unboxing videos, reviews begin to surface

    First Apple Vision Pro unboxing videos, reviews begin to surface

    The very first reviews and unboxing videos for Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro headset were shared on Tuesday ahead of the device’s U.S. launch on Friday.

    Here you go:

    The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern offered the following video review and comments:

    Choice comments for the new headset have pointed out the Vision Pro’s heavy weight, short battery life, but also its exceptional eye tracking, rich displays, and the fact that this might be the best of breed among current headsets, including the Meta Quest Pro and the Meta Quest 3.

    The following items arrive in the Vision Pro box:

    • Light Seal
    • Light Seal Cushion (Two Sizes)
    • Solo Knit Band
    • Dual Loop Band
    • Front Cover
    • Battery Pack
    • Vision Pro Polishing Cloth
    • 30W USB-C Power Adapter
    • USB‑C Charging Cable

    Apple has also released an optional Vision Pro travel case for $199. The case features compartments for the external battery pack, ZEISS optical inserts, fabric front cover, and additional accessories. Apple says the case has a fabric exterior with a polycarbonate protective layer, a soft microfiber inner lining, and a retractable handle.

    Apple has announced that the Vision Pro will launch in additional countries later this year.

    Via MacRumors, Marques Brownlee, Brian Tong, and The Wall Street Journal

  • Apple email offers instructions as to how to pre-order the Vision Pro headset

    Apple email offers instructions as to how to pre-order the Vision Pro headset

    If you’re looking to get a pre-order in for the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset, Apple has provided some marching orders as to how to get the device.

    On Friday, the company once again stated that the headset would be available starting next Friday, January 19 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. It also stated to have an iPhone or iPad with Face ID nearby, and offered the following guidance:

    “When you order Apple Vision Pro, you’ll need to scan your face with an iPhone or iPad with Face ID. This helps us determine the right size Light Seal and head bands, which work together to give you a precise fit.”

    Second, make sure your Apple Store app is updated, as the latest version released on January 11 supports Vision Pro face scanning.

    Finally, Apple says customers with vision correction needs will be required to upload a valid, unexpired prescription from a U.S. eye‑care professional after checkout:

    “Because Apple Vision Pro is designed to be worn without glasses, we’ve partnered with ZEISS to create custom optical inserts that accommodate most prescriptions,” wrote Apple, with fine print noting that not all prescriptions are supported. “When you order, we’ll ask a few quick questions to find out if you need optical inserts. If you do, you’ll upload a valid, unexpired prescription from a U.S. eye‑care professional after checkout.”

    Users can add and store your vision prescription in the Health app on the iPhone.

    Following pre-orders, the Vision Pro will launch in the U.S. on Friday, February 2. As of 8 a.m. local time that day, customers are invited to sign up for a demo of the wearable headset at their local Apple Store location, with slots to be available through the weekend on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Apple’s email.

    Vision Pro starts at $3,499 in the U.S. with 256GB of storage.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and and support.apple.com

  • Rumor: Apple Vision Pro could see “imminent” release in U.S. Apple Store locations

    Rumor: Apple Vision Pro could see “imminent” release in U.S. Apple Store locations

    Apple’s Vision Pro headset could be on the brink of launch which are U.S. Apple Store retail locations, beginning final preparations for the device to go on sale.

    According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said that the Vision Pro is now shipping in small quantities to warehouses across the United States ahead of direct distribution to Apple retail stores. Although Apple has yet to announce an official release date, it is looking to have sufficient stock ready in the U.S. by the end of January to launch in February. Gurman has also stated that he expects Apple to make a Vision Pro-related announcement “in the next week or so” to “take some of the spotlight away from CES,” which starts on Tuesday, January 9.

    It’s also been noted that on January 21, all Apple Stores in the United States will hold an unusual three-hour-long meeting for all employees that will likely involve training and explanation of the sales procedure related to the device. Further training sessions are planned for the subsequent days, followed by the reception of new inventory racks and backroom equipment.

    Finally, it’s been noted that Luxshare, the Chinese assembler of the Vision Pro, held a delivery ceremony last month to mark the first official shipments of the completed headset. Apple has also purportedly filed design patents “for every hardware and software element of the device,” which further suggests that the launch is likely to be very soon.

    It’s unknown when the Vision Pro will become available via online pre-orders, and Apple may initially only offer an online reservation for an appointment at an Apple Store involving a light seal and headband fitting.

    Gurman has also stated that he doesn’t believe the Vision Pro will launch around the world until “much later” than its U.S. release. Apple is said to be considering the United Kingdom, Canada, and China as the next markets to receive the product.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg