Apple has unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the new headset “seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world”.
The tech firm also announced its latest iPhone operating system, as well as updates to MacBook Air.
The headset has a two-hour battery life, costs $3,499 (£2,849) and will be released early next year in the US.
The cost is considerably higher than virtual reality headsets currently on the market. Last week Meta announced its Quest 3 – which costs $499.
Apple said little about generative artificial intelligence – the buzzy technology that is the talk of Silicon Valley.
The company’s share price fell slightly during the announcement, made at a developer’s conference at Apple Park, the company’s headquarters, in Cupertino, California.
The BBC was among the media outlets at the event, and technology editor Zoe Kleinman was one of the first people in the world to try out the headset.
“Since current boss Tim Cook took over in 2011, with the possible exception of the Watch, Apple has been unable to come up with the kind of world-changing product of the past,” she said.
“Have they done it here?”
Apple Vision Pro looks different to similar headsets on the market – and is more reminiscent of a pair of ski goggles than a virtual reality headset.
Apple used the phrase “augmented reality” to describe what the new device does.
Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, superimposes virtual objects in the world around us – enabling us to mix reality with virtual reality by looking through a screen. (BBC)
