Spatial Computing by Apple is Here

Credit: Apple

Apple's WWDC23 keynote was packed with exciting announcements, but some of the most notable to the audio and video community were the updates to AirPlay 2 and tvOS. As well as the new Apple Pro Vision headset which could be a fascinating new way to enjoy movies in a one-person environment. Let’s dive into a few of the new items they’ve released.

New Updates to AirPlay 2

• QR code support: You can now use a QR code to quickly and easily connect to an AirPlay 2 device. This is great for using AirPlay at a hotel while traveling. 
• SharePlay in CarPlay: Adding a song to a queue on a road trip typically involves sharing a phone, sending a link, or passing around a cable. With Apple Music, you can now use SharePlay in your car. Any passenger can join the session and change the song, add a song to your queue, or just see what song is playing. 
• On-Device Intelligence: Your iPhone will learn your locations and routines and suggest Homepod devices to connect to via AirPlay when you are nearby and usually connect to them.

New Updates for tvOS

• FaceTime on Apple TV: FaceTime is coming to Apple TV for the first time, allowing users to enjoy the app on their TV for even more engaging conversations with family and friends. With tvOS 17, FaceTime comes to Apple TV 4K, so users — for the first time ever — can enjoy the popular app on their TV for even more engaging conversations with family and friends.
• Redesigned Control Center: The Control Center on Apple TV has been redesigned with a new look and feel and new features like the ability to quickly access the Home app, the Fitness app, and the new Live Activities feature.

Apple Pro Vision Headset: The Ultimate Way to Watch Movies?

Apple's Vision Pro headset has a micro-OLED display with over 23 million pixels combined, which is greater than 4K resolution for each eye. This will provide a pretty high-resolution option for watching content. Will people adopt this for watching content or is this more likely to be an expensive gadget where people don’t want to sit and watch movies with a big set of ski goggles on their faces?

Here is what is cool about it. First, McGinnis from Apple said that users could watch a movie in an "environment like Mount Hood" that "feels 100 feet wide." This would be possible because the headset can create a virtual screen in front of the user's eyes for any perceived size you want. In the Meta Quest Pro, which is Meta’s version of a VR headset, you can already size a screen to watch YouTube videos and other content in various perceived sizes. However, it's a bit clunky in terms of focusing your eyes and obviously having the headset on. Most everyone who has tested the Apple Pro Vision sees it as a better viewing experience than the Meta Quest Pro, but it is still a one-person experience that is awkward with the headset on. Our team at Audio Advice tested watching movies on the Meta Quest Pro. As you would expect when we first started watching, there was definitely a coolness and newness feel. However, just as others who have tested the Apple Vision Pro, we quickly found that having a set of goggles on your face eventually is uncomfortable and generates heat on your face. The Apple Vision Pro will be better but has this same issue. It also loses the social aspect of watching a movie on a large television or home theater with friends. 

We do see situations where the headset adds some value. For instance, the headset can also block out the space that the user is watching it in, such as on an airplane. This would allow users to watch movies without being distracted by their surroundings. And Apple claims it will be the absolute best way to experience 3D movies as well.

Spatial Audio for a More Immersive Movie Experience

We do like that Apple has added spatial audio capabilities to the Apple Vision Pro because great spatial audio totally immerses viewers in movies and other content. However, this will not be the same as hearing Atmos in a theater room. The reason is that there are not speakers all around you in a 360 fashion like in a theater room. Instead, Apple uses phase adjustments and other tricks to create the perception of spatial audio in headphones. This is also true when listening to spatial audio tracks from Apple on headphones which is not nearly as good an experience as hearing the same tracks in an Atmos-enabled home theater. 

So what’s our conclusion on the success of Apple Vision Pro? At its price of $3,500, we don’t expect the product to hit the mass market. Instead, this is aimed more at affluent early adopters who don’t expect it to be perfect and are willing to drop the money for the cool factor. This first version has the obvious drawbacks of a huge set of ski-looking goggles on your head which most people are not going to want to have on for long periods of time. The battery only lasts 2 hours anyways. But Apple has a knack for building cool products and improving them over time. So expect that they will be the best on the market, people will show off to their friends, and they will get some reasonable adoption. We expect the second version of these which will likely be lower in price and hopefully more refined will give us a fourth and complementary way of interacting with others and consuming content: i) big screens in our homes, ii) computers, iii) tablets and phones and iv) then VR headsets.