My eye! Apple debuts US$3,499 mixed-reality device

Headset mixes virtual and augmented reality, will have its own operating system

LOS ANGELES Apple will charge an eye-popping US$3,499 (S$4,720) for its long-awaited mixed-reality headset, testing whether consumers are ready to spend big bucks on a technology that the company sees as the future of computing.

The iPhone maker unveiled the new Vision Pro headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, the culmination of more than seven years of development. Introduced with the late Steve Jobs’ trademark phrase one more thing” the product vaults Apple into the first major new category since it began selling smartwatches in 2015. The Vision Pro also could be one of the riskiest launches in the company’s history.

In a wide-ranging presentation, Apple showed the headset’s myriad features and spotlighted content planned for the product, including games and interactive video from Walt Disney. The device, which resembles high-tech ski goggles, will have its own operating system, visionOS, and a dedicated App Store. It is slated to arrive in early 2024 in the United States, and elsewhere later.