Apple Highlights Developer Reactions to Vision Pro Labs: 'Audible Gasp'

Last month, Apple began hosting Vision Pro developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, allowing developers to get early hands-on time with the headset. The one-day labs enable developers to test and optimize their apps on visionOS, with Apple employees available to help with setup and troubleshooting.

Vision Pro lab
Apple today highlighted some positive reactions from developers who have attended the labs and had an opportunity to try on the Vision Pro.

"I'd been staring at this thing in the simulator for weeks and getting a general sense of how it works, but that was in a box," said David Smith, developer of the Widgetsmith app. "The first time you see your own app running for real, that's when you get the audible gasp."

Fantastical and Cardhop developer Michael Simmons described the Vision Pro labs as a "proving ground" for spatial computing. "Experiencing spatial computing not only validated the designs we'd been thinking about — it helped us start thinking not just about left to right or up and down, but beyond borders at all," he said.

Any registered Apple developer who is at least 18 years old can apply to attend a Vision Pro lab for free on Apple's website, with additional dates added through late September depending on the location. Developers must have a new visionOS app in active development, or an existing iPadOS or iOS app, and Apple says priority will be given to developers who are building apps that are specially optimized for the Vision Pro.

In early August, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he heard the labs had been "under-filled with small amounts of developers," but interest could improve as time goes on. There are no labs available on the East Coast of the U.S., and Apple is not paying for travel or accommodation expenses involved with attending.

Apple says the Vision Pro will launch in the U.S. in early 2024, and in additional countries later that year. The headset will be priced at $3,499.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
21 months ago
There was an audible gasp from me as well at the $3499 price tag.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
21 months ago
I thought they were referring to this gasp:

Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redman042 Avatar
21 months ago

Agreed. Vision Pro imo will see huge demand. $3500? A large screen OLED TV alone costs 2,000 and no one complains about that. Also that’s just one item that Vision Pro can replace and help you save. iPhone replaced so many things same will be for Vision Pro.
A TV benefits the whole household, and it's something we are all used to budgeting for once every decade or so.

A VR headset is a new device category for most, and only one person at a time can use it.

Very different use cases here.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tripsync Avatar
21 months ago
Can't wait for all the jokes relating to "gasping about the price"
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macpro2000 Avatar
21 months ago

There was an audible gasp from me as well at the $3499 price tag.
Not sure why. People that understand the price of current technology should realize it’s a great price.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
21 months ago
"The first time you see your own app running for real, that's when you get the audible gasp."

That also tends to happen with traditional 2D apps. ;)
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)