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Apple

Apple Headset Stalls, Struggles To Attract Killer Apps in First Year (msn.com) 37

Posted by msmash from the slow-progress dept.
Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro is struggling to attract major software-makers to develop apps for the device, a challenge that threatens to slow the progress of the company's biggest new product in a decade. WSJ: New apps released on the Vision Pro every month have slowed since its launch in January. Some of the most successful virtual-reality software developers have so far opted not to build apps for the headset. Without enough killer apps, certain users have found the device less useful and are opting to sell it. "It's a chicken-or-egg problem," said Bertrand Nepveu, who previously worked on the Vision Pro at Apple and is now an investor in this area at Triptyq Capital.

Nepveu and app developers think Apple should fund app makers to give them an incentive to port over their existing apps from other headsets or to develop fresh content. This practice has become common in the industry, with headset leader Meta Platforms funding many developers and even buying several app makers. The social-media company is a formidable competitor to Apple, with a market share of all headsets reaching 74% in the second quarter this year, according to Counterpoint Research.

Apple Headset Stalls, Struggles To Attract Killer Apps in First Year More | Reply

Apple Headset Stalls, Struggles To Attract Killer Apps in First Year

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  • Virtual reality and Augmented Reality are no no words. What does Apple want application wise apart from virtual monitors? No idea.

    • There are good uses for both. For example, architects have used VR to help prospective customers tour a virtual building instead of looking at floor plans or a model. There is some evidence to suggest that customers are more likely to go with an architect that delivers this or that they can find flaws with a design before it gets built, saving costs. Augmented reality works great for training certain types of professionals. I've seen a really great demo of some kit for helping train surgeons by recreating a

      • The problem is that the headsets are too bulky to put on. But you're right they can give a good feel for what the space will look like. I have the Apple Vision Pro, I can't fault the experience .. but wearing it tiring because of the weight.

        • Future versions will come down in size so that's just a matter of the technology progressing. The first cell phones weren't something you could carry around in your pocket, but here we are today.

  • Or They Could Be Like Steve Jobs (Score:4, Interesting)

    by machineghost ( 622031 ) on Wednesday October 16, 2024 @05:28PM (#64870283)

    People forget that when Steve Jobs released the iPhone 1 there were no apps for it at all! He believed that Apple had written all the apps the phone would need (eg. phone, calendar, etc.) and that everything else would be taken care of by web applets.

    Now, of course, smartphones proved wildly popular, and web-based apps weren't up to the challenges of everything new smartphone-owners wanted them to do.
      Apple quickly reversed course, and added the now (in)famous App Store.

    But the point is, when he released a product, that product was ready to be used (at least as he envisioned it). Tim Cook releasing the hardware for the VP without the software to make people want to use it shows a critical difference between the two.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dmay34 ( 6770232 )

      Yeah, that's not true. The App store was released one year later. They didn't just create that in a weekend as an afterthought. They clearly just wanted to push a number of iphones out to early adopters so that developers would be interested in developing for the iPhone and filling their coming app store with apps.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by dgatwood ( 11270 )

        Yeah, that's not true. The App store was released one year later. They didn't just create that in a weekend as an afterthought.

        I'll never know for sure what was happening in meetings at the C-suite level, but I do know that we started working on documentation for iOS near the end of that year for a March announcement, and up until that moment, we were all still complaining about what a bad idea the web app plan was. So if there was some secret plan from the very beginning, it was so secret that even people who should have known about it did not find out until the last minute.

        Bear in mind that the iPhone was a collaboration between

    • People forget that when Steve Jobs released the iPhone 1 there were no apps for it at all! He believed that Apple had written all the apps the phone would need (eg. phone, calendar, etc.) and that everything else would be taken care of by web applets.

      Now, of course, smartphones proved wildly popular, and web-based apps weren't up to the challenges of everything new smartphone-owners wanted them to do. Apple quickly reversed course, and added the now (in)famous App Store.

      But the point is, when he released a product, that product was ready to be used (at least as he envisioned it). Tim Cook releasing the hardware for the VP without the software to make people want to use it shows a critical difference between the two.

      While I don't really see the point of the headset myself, outside of virtual monitors or "theater experience" viewing, I am curious why a company the size of Apple wouldn't have written at least a smattering of highly "wow" factor apps for the thing for the initial release. It's almost like they created it with no actual vision of what it was they wanted it to do. "Here's some cool new hardware. We don't know what it does well. Have fun." That's a big price for a, "Invent something cool after purchase" type

    • Ironically, the original iPhone was overpriced, too. Apple famously had to give it a rather large price cut to stimulate sales. It's easy to forget it almost wasn't a huge smash hit, because initially it was just a glorified feature phone. It was also largely the enthusiast community jailbreaking it and creating homebrew apps that convinced Apple to create their own App Store.

  • That's one expensive chicken (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Wednesday October 16, 2024 @05:31PM (#64870297) Homepage

    I don't care how good the apps for it are, until the damn thing costs less than a full-fledged gaming console there's going to be a massive segment of the market that just isn't going to buy it.

    What we're witnessing here is Apple having too much pride to admit they severely overestimated the size of demographic willing to drop three-and-a-half grand on a toy.

    • ...a toy without the proper infrastructure to be played on.

    • It’s way too expensive to be a toy indeed, I can see real use cases for commercial uses like CAD, the issue is making commercial software is way slower than just porting over existing social media/photo/crap already existing mobile apps to this is easy. It will take along time maximize the headset, its definitely cool, but looks like it will take a lot of time and money to squeeze it out.

      • I'm not sure CAD is the killer application. Current CAD software (at least the FOSS: FreeCAD, Blender) already support 3D visualization, whether cyan/magenta glasses, or 3D displays. It was already a possible killer app for 3D TVs but didn't pick up. If CAD users were commonly using existing solutions for 3D visualisation, they would be possibly interested in some upgrade. But a headset is not even clear it's an upgrade, it's reported as vastly more uncomfortable.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Sebby ( 238625 )

      What we're witnessing here is Apple having too much pride to admit they severely overestimated the size of demographic willing to drop three-and-a-half grand on a toy.

      Or, that they've really put out a developer prototype device to "prove" the tech, but passing it off as a consumer device that's over engineered (those "see-through eyes" gimmick) to try to sell it as such.

  • The only thing I can think of that would make me want to buy a VR headset is if I worked in an "Open Office" kind of work environments and I wanted to create my own bit of privacy. Connect it to my work computer, and project a second monitor that only I could see, and make everyone else in the office disappear. .

    • We all know you'd use it to visually undress the Receptionist.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dgatwood ( 11270 )

        We all know you'd use it to visually undress the Receptionist.

        Ironically, the lack of porn on Apple's App Store, coupled with Apple's refusal to allow third-party stores or direct app installation, is yet another reason why Vision Pro isn't selling.

    • I would have bought one on the spot if it was capable:
      1) not only powered by a battery
      2) two or more HDMI inputs; not a lower quality wireless stream of 1 mac's single screen.

      They seriously need a pro version that is for REAL professionals. like industrial... no face screen and maybe less powerful so it weighs less and I think a foam bike helmet type thing would not bother you being on your head all day long. I don't need to walk around; I want a the BEST monitor setup and that headset was almost it.

      • "think a foam bike helmet type thing would not bother you being on your head all day long." I think a lot of people will be a bit uncomfortable with the thought of looking "special" to other people. The stigma over this is far from dead.

        • I don't care if people think I'm retarded; I'd prefer it to looking like some hipster wearing big heavy ski goggles that are not useful for real work that only show off my disposable income. Besides, realistically, it would have LEDs and a big logo etc and not even a child would confuse it for a retard helmet.

          A bike helmet works all day long; although, I rarely do that and might someday get in an accident and become "special." man that is a moronic label... retard was a real word and shorthand for mentally

    • I can see about using one of these for FPV drone stuff, or specialized tasks. That, or for long bus rides just so people don't try to bug you, they are good. However, who has time in their life to devote to another screen? There is already the phone, the tablet, the TV, the smart fridge, the infotainment system, the computer, the smart mirror on the ceiling in the bedroom... shouldn't people be pushing to get away from glowy things for physical/mental health reasons?

  • Again I am reminded of the breathless fanboyism abour VR from 10 years ago... some Slashdotter predicted 100 million head mounted displays by 2019 or he'd eat his shorts...

    • 10 years? How long has the last scene room of The Carousel of Progress at Disney World had the adult son character playing with the VR headset that he got for Christmas? And I've lost count of the number of movies where VR was featured, like the first Jurassic Park movie, where they're using headsets to sequence DNA to create dinosaurs. Come to think of it, bringing back dinosaurs would still be more interesting than VR.

      People have been predicting this stuff is gonna catch on in a big way for a long time

    • Apparently they're up to 50 million [business-standard.com]. So market growth is slower than that guy expected, but it's happening. Notable that a lot of it is in China, where headsets are cheaper and more models are available.

  • Aren't they all going to stall? (Score:3)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Wednesday October 16, 2024 @05:41PM (#64870357)
    just like 3D TVs about 1/3 of the population can't stand wearing these for any length of time. It screws with our eyes. And that's before we talk about motion sickness.

    I think Zuckerberg had the right idea to use it for business because then he could get your boss to force you to use it for you job (and you'd just have to put up with the motion sickness and headaches). But he botched it so bad it doesn't matter (which is typical of these tech billionaires who blundered into one good idea but are actually terrible businessmen).
  • Vision Pro is a new, exotic animal...the smartest and most technologically advanced peripheral produced for the consumer/business market.
    And nobody is really ready to put it to good use for differing reasons:
    - It's too expensive for most consumers to purchase as a discretionary entertainment expense
    - It's also a risky expense for businesses looking for commercial-grade heavy duty gear that can withstand employee wear and tear
    - It requires too much dedicated software development manpower to properly inte

  • Is it really a surprise? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Wednesday October 16, 2024 @05:50PM (#64870395)

    Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro is struggling to attract major software-makers to develop apps for the device

    Is this really a surprise - just look at the cost!

    - People won't be incentivized to buy it if there's no real content (utility/stuff) for it.
    - Devs won't develop for it if they don't see a big enough market for it (no buyers).

    It's a classic catch-22. This one is of Apple's own making - they're selling the thing as a consumer device, but it's really a developer preview/prototype - one that's been over engineered (that goofy "see-through eyes" thing) in order to make it "sellable" as a consumer device, thereby increasing its costs (again: that cost!!).

    And again, this is all of Apple's own making - they insist on never producing non-consumer devices, even when this one is clearly a developer preview-type device, to "prove" the technology, but stubborn and arrogant Apple can't bring itself to really face the true nature of their own product.

    (p.s. OK, maybe that first-ever "Apple TV" was properly sold as more of a prototype than consumer device, but that now feels like a ancient-history exception that never happens anymore).

  • The app store needs work. It almost feels like they are intentionally nerfing it. There are decent apps for the vision pro but they are difficult to find

  • If I avoid buying 200 of them...

  • The experience is good, probably the future of movies eventually. The regular format won't die, but VR will exist as one of many entertainment formats. Once VR headsets with Apple Vision Pro-like resolution are available that weigh less than 120 grams (like the Bigscreen Beyond VR headset) instead of 600 grams (Apple Vision Pro) then the format has a chance. The glasses Meta showed of its Orion AR glasses weighing 98 grams. If they can make a production XR version of that, with higher resolution (6K per eye

  • I don't care how far ahead of the competition it is, I don't care what price it is, I don't care about it's lack of content. If there isn't one thing people are pining to use it over, just one thing people wish it was cheaper for and those that bought it use it all the time for then it's not good enough. No amount of extra content people don't care about or price drops are going to fix that, it's just not good enough yet.

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