My wife and I had our Apple Vision Pro (AVP) demos in Omaha yesterday. Below are my demo experience and thoughts:

What happened

After we arrived at the Apple Store, we waited for a few minutes before a technician was available. Then, we were directed to a table. The guy asked me about my vision and whether I needed to get my driving glasses. I said it would be fine without them. He walked me through some of the ABCs of the device such as how to choose things with my eyes, the hand click and other fundamental movements. The next step was to scan my face. He presented me a QR Code which I scanned to open a window. My phone took the measurement of my face twice and generated another QR code that the technician used to set up AVP. A couple of minutes later, another helper brought the device out. We took a minute or so to finish the setup and then there we began.

The pass-through was awesome. I saw everything in the store through the headset clearly. I only use my glasses while driving, but I had no issue with AVP without the glasses. Then, I opened a few apps. I could use the apps while seeing things in the background. The device miraculously knew which app or feature I wanted to pick based on my eyes alone. And it tracked my hands cleverly whether I put them on the table or on my laps.

The crown jewel of the demo was the immersive video that Apple prepared. I was blown away. I saw a few snippets of sports events, scenes of the Mother Nature and even Alicia Keys singing up close. Everything felt so so real. So real that at one point I even reached my hand out to pet a rhino.

My wife had the same demo. At one point, she giddly apologized to the technician for not keeping her mouth closed!! We both walked away from the Apple Store stunned and impressed.

Apple’s Marketing of AVP

Already known for its Marketing prowess, Apple is striking gold again with the promotion of AVP. This is such a revolutionary device that it would be hard for customers to grasp without the physical experience. Letting customers get their hands on AVP and experience the immersive view up close is a game-changer. Undoubtedly, first-generation products have flaws, but I don’t think many who already experienced AVP were 100% disappointed. Those who already wanted to own AVP would be more convinced to take the plunge. Those that were on the fence would be more tempted and likely wait for the more polished versions. Some cynics would be more receptive to the concept. Regardless, the earned media from customers, in addition to press coverage, is tremendous and drives the hype even higher.

Apple is creating another one-of-one product category. The company has the expertise to create the product and the store network to market it. Samsung has its own stores, but there is no AVP rival in sight. Facebook has its headset, but it does not have the stores to let customers try. The longer Apple goes unchallenged, the bigger its advantage in AR/VR headset market. Remember, Apple must have began work on AVP more than 10 years ago. Anyone that wishes to launch a competitive alternative should take at least that much time. Facebook has the means to build its own stores, but would it?

Market for AVP

• Middle and upper class: these individuals are curious about the device and a taste of the future. They have the interest and the financial means to own an AVP. Because I don’t expect AVP to be much cheaper in the future, the barriers to entry will limit the pool of this clientele.
• Technical professionals: the way AVP presents information will be a game changer for professionals in a few areas. I think we will see adoption from surgeons, architects, doctors, engineers or artists.
• Zoos: imagine what zoos could do with AVP. Visitors could put the headset on, watch animals from other continents and feel just as real as seeing them in cages. Zoo lovers surely prefer seeing live animals, but AVP could give zoo management the option to NOT keep some wild animals in an unnatural habitat. For example, one day, we would come to see polar bears through AVP without actually needing to keep one in a cage that is nowhere near the Arctic.
• Travel industry: I predict that the travel industry will leverage immersive technology and AVP to wow travelers and make their products/services as appealing as possible.

What AVP could do for Apple?

Apple has a real shot at owning this product category for years to come. AVP also allows Apple to penerate the corporate world, from another angle. In addition, I think AVP will catapult the Services segment to new heights. Think about it this way, anyone purchasing a Vision Pro will automatically want some protection and buy Apple Care. That’s another $400-$500 of high-margin revenue per device in Apple’s pocket. Content created for and by Vision Pro will consume storage and almost guarantee higher iCloud subscriptions.

What about ads? If Apple can somehow enable ads on this new platform, I am sure advertisers will flock to get an allocation.

The sky seems to be the limit for Apple Vision Pro. There are just scores of possibilities with this new platform. I am really excited to see what Apple has in store for it.