Vision Pro Will Get Apple Intelligence and 'Go Deeper' In-Store Demo

Despite all of its impressive tech specs, Apple's all-singing, all-dancing Vision Pro hasn't impressed the world. But now the time has come, and the company continues to put some force behind the headset, and reportedly plans to add AI features to VisionOS and prepare an updated approach to in-store demos.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports today that Apple is working on the challenge of incorporating Apple intelligence into the headset's augmented reality interface. That may come as a relief to Vision Pro owners who were disappointed that the company didn't mention it during the AI portion of its WWDC 2024 keynote presentation.

The company is adding a new "Go Deeper" option to its in-store demo, Gurman writes. This reportedly includes testing Office features and watching videos, as well as defaulting to the Dual Loop band that sends the strap up and down behind the wearer's head, rather than the single-strap Solo Loop band, which some people find uncomfortable.

Apple will also reportedly let people view their videos and photos, including panoramas, in the headset. Adding an emotional touch to the demo could work, especially since VisionOS 2 is coming this fall, which has a "spatial" option for turning 2D photos into 3D — a feature that's more impressive than it should be (though still a little awkward with hair and glasses, like Apple's Portrait Mode feature).

But I can imagine it could go the other way too if people look at the wrong photos. Did you know how looking at your iPhone photos on your computer monitor suddenly brings out all their flaws? Try looking at them at wall size.

But it looks like this is all just waiting until the company releases a cheaper headset, which is expected late next year. It's unclear what that will look like, though, as there are conflicting rumors about a cheaper follow-up device, what changes Apple makes to reach the lower price, and how much work goes into the "Vision Pro 2."

One thing all of these stories have in common, though, is that Apple is having great difficulty making the headset it wants to make without costing thousands of dollars. It's too early to declare the Vision Pro a dead end, but I can't get rid of the feeling that without that cheaper headset, Apple has no way to move forward, unless it's willing to position the Vision Pro to serve a niche market as well as fulfill the dream of lightweight AR glasses.