Hundreds of Apple fans began lining up outside its flagship Manhattan store before dawn Friday to try out the new Vision Pro virtual reality set — because they, and even the tech giant’s own employees, said it might be the only way they could get their hands on it. from expensive tools.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand as crowds gathered outside the Fifth Avenue building in anticipation of the public release of the headset, which has been hailed as revolutionary — and derided as “digital fentanyl.”
Donovan Van, a recent college graduate from Harlem, called the futuristic device’s $3,500 price tag “a big push — it’s ridiculous.”
“I believe it is a quality product, but I think the price should be lower, 100%. I won’t be buying this anytime soon,” said Van. “I’m still using the iPhone 13.”
Even some store employees said they wouldn’t buy the headset because of the high cost.
One staff member explained he wanted to get a car first, while another employee joked that he would have to moonlight as a sex worker to save enough money for the gizmo.
Apple unveiled its innovative Vision Pro VR headset to the public on Friday, drawing a large crowd in Manhattan. Robert Miller
“If you see me fooling around in the corner, don’t look,” said the Apple employee. “It doesn’t come in one paycheck, honey.”
He declined to say how much money he earns each month.
A senior employee at an Apple store said he couldn’t afford the headset either — and he also found it “a bit heavy.”
“With time, from generation to generation, they will improve. … And it might be cheaper and lighter,” he said.
The groundbreaking device costs $3,500 and weighs 20 ounces. Getty Images There is no shortage of tech enthusiasts eager to experience the new device for themselves. Getty Images
Faruk Gunes is among those who want to know how the headset works but they also have serious reservations about shelling out that kind of dough for him.
“If I think this is a good product, maybe I will buy it, but it is quite expensive,” said Gunes, a 21-year-old student from Chile.
He notes that the boring new device is “too heavy” and may have a short battery life, saying he hopes future versions of the Vision Pro will be better. Analysts believe the cost of the headset will drop to around $1,500 in the future.
Yinja Wen, 27, a designer from Astoria, Queens, sounded just as skeptical about how much sales would increase — even as she was excited about the future of VR devices.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attended the launch event in New York City and mingled with customers. Getty Images Cook chats with Apple employees and shoppers and poses for selfies. AFP via Getty Images
“I don’t see it becoming mainstream at least for the next five to 10 years,” he said of new Apple products, citing the high price point. “A lot of people still have to try it to see if they want it [wear] computer in their face.”
Wen said in the future he will get a Vision Pro headset “for sure” – but not necessarily the one that was announced on Friday.
“I definitely got one. This version? Not sure. But I definitely got one. The price doesn’t bother me,” he says, adding that he doesn’t “invest in first-generation products.”
Apple unveiled its highly anticipated new device in stores across the US on Friday.
The first customer walked out of the Apple Store with the purchase of a Vision Pro headset. AFP via Getty Images
At Apple’s flagship store in New York City, Cook chatted with employees and shook hands and posed for selfies with customers who were among the first in line to pick up Apple’s new headset.
Speaking to CNBC’s Jim Cramer at the event, Cook praised Vision Pro as “the technology of tomorrow” — and sought to justify the eye-catching sticker price.
“We think we’re pricing it at the right level considering the value,” Cook said, noting that the headset has 5,000 patents on it.
The CEO of the company, which has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion, noted that customers short of $3,500 can sign up for a monthly financing plan.
Apple’s flagship store in Manhattan was buzzing Friday morning during the unveiling of a new VR headset. Getty Images
“People can spread their payments over time, and that’s a kind of affordability,” he said.
But the high cost of the headset is not the only obstacle. Tipping the scale at 20 ounces — or as much as a box of butter — the Vision Pro is pretty big.
Additionally, people who rely on glasses cannot wear them while using the Vision Pro set and will be required to purchase a special Zeiss Optical Insert, which is made by a third party and has a starting price of $99.
But Felix Ernst, 34, was unfazed by some concerns about Apple’s expensive new device and left the store a happy customer after getting one.
“That’s a lot of money, but I think it’s a very unique product,” he told The Post. “There’s nothing out there that can do what this can do. I’m happy with my results [to buy it].”
Hundreds of people lined up before dawn to be among the first to test the Vision Pro gadget. Robert Miller
Ernst, who works in the technology industry, wondered about being able to watch his daughter’s re-encoded home videos on his iPhone in 3D on a Vision Pro headset.
“It feels like he’s right here in front of me. It’s really amazing,” he said as he sat in the Apple Store and played with his new toy. “It was unbelievable.”
Questions have been raised about whether VR devices are appropriate for children, along with other tech-savvy people.
“Apple can create whatever experience it wants. Whatever the experience is, only you have it,” Mark Hurst, CEO of online strategy consultancy Creative Good, told Vanity Fair, referring to the new VR headset.
Calling the wearable tech product an “isolating device”, he described the product as a “face-hugging alien strapped to your face” and said Apple’s new “hobby device” discourages interaction because the headset places users in a digital reality and separates them from other people in a real environment.”
Some Apple customers on Friday speculated that using the headset could potentially harm young children.
“I don’t see it as a toy [for kids],” Ernst said. “I came here very early today, and everyone I see here is in their 30s. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but if my daughter is 18 now, she is too young for this.”
VR demonstrations at the Apple Store are only open to those 13 and older — but there’s technically nothing stopping parents from buying the Vision Pro as a gift for their kids.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
