I don't doubt that the Apple Vision Pro demos are amazing. Hell, I'm sure they are. But I'm not buying into it, literally and figuratively.
Spatial computing is here, Apple says. I can't argue against that, cause, well... they actually delivered! But I think they've gone about it all wrong. As cool as it is, as futuristic as it seems, my impression of the Apple Vision Pro is that it's a product that shouldn't be, and that most people won't ever find a use for it.
What we need are projected interfaces, and I wish Apple would be the people to make that happen.
Putting something like a short-throw projector into a HomePod would be a helluava lot more accessible and helluava lot less fuss for end-users.
I envision:
Short-throw projector in a HomePod
Simple, flat, 2D interface projected on to walls that the HomePod is set against. Could even be black and white.
Nice big heads up displays, widgets.
Interactivity by way of a revamped Apple Remote, or gestures in the air that are captured by a revamp'd Xbox connect sensor.
The benefits would be:
No clunky headset to lug around.
Not needing to charge batteries, steady supply of power from the wall.
Less fuss with cables.
No weight on head.
No eye adjustment issues.
Shared experience.
No risk of tripping over your room or becoming disoriented.
Simpler, reduced interaction.
Lower cost, more accessible.
This is not too far off from the "magic mirror" concept that was popular a few years back. And something that has this kind of spec and interaction would be an instant day-one purchase for me. I'd probably purchase several!
I have an inclination that, in the future, needing to use a handheld or wearable device with a screen as little as possible will be seen as a luxury. The screen necessitates structure and demands attention, luxury is being able to be unstructured and passive. Expect a complete inversion from how things are now.
I have felt this way for some time now, ever since I saw the "calm computing" demos at SXSW 2018. That's the main reason I have a few HomePods and an AppleTV hooked up to an old-school projector scattered throughout my domus.