Apple is known for its deliberate approach to new product categories, and a patent from 2008 indicates that the company had been developing Vision Pro for at least 15 years prior to its official release.
The patent illustration and the gadget’s specifications show a striking similarity to the product that ultimately launched in 2024…
Macworld contributor Dan Moren was reminded of an article he wrote in 2008 regarding the patent.
At the start of my journey writing about Apple (nearly two decades ago, wow), I wrote for Macworld’s now-defunct MacUser blog. A colleague, Jason Snell, recently sent me an Internet Archive link for the site, and as I browsed through, I stumbled upon a surprising story about an Apple patent, along with a recognizable image.
The patent illustration appears incredibly similar to the finished product.
The accompanying description is equally revealing:
A recently discovered patent, submitted by Apple in February, suggests they are developing a wearable display that can replicate the sensation of being in a virtual environment using smart sensors. These sensors will reportedly track head and eye movements, adjusting the video to create an immersive experience for the wearer.
As Moren emphasizes, the display technology capable of actualizing this concept was nonexistent back then, yet Apple had a clear, ambitious vision of what it aimed to accomplish and was committed to its development until it became viable, even at a premium price.
The pressing question now is how much longer it will take for Apple to introduce a more budget-friendly Vision product without significant compromises. Recent reports indicate that the company is currently prioritizing a second-generation Pro device likely incorporating an M5 chip.
Photo by Mylo Kaye on Unsplash
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