Apple"s much-awaited mixed reality headset Vision Pro has an official launch date. The company announced today that Vision Pro will go on sale next month. However, the Cupertino giant is giving an added perk to the users: extra battery life.
"The external battery supports up to 2 hours of general use, and up to 2.5 hours of video playback," Apple says on the updated Vision Pro product page (via 9to5Mac). The company goes on to explain in the fine print that you can expect these battery life estimates with "Video playback tested in conjunction with an Environment, using 2D movie content purchased from the Apple TV app."
Apple did the testing back in November 2023 using pre-production Vision Pro units and software. The company also tested Vision Pro for different tasks such as internet browsing, spatial video capture, and FaceTime. Apple previously said that its external battery can power the headset for up to two hours on a single charge.
With an extra 30 minutes of juice, you will be able to watch more episodes of a TV series or movies that are longer than two hours. Of course, you can expect an all-day backup when the headset is directly connected to a power source.
Apple says that the Vision Pro can stream content from "Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, and other services on a screen that feels 100 feet wide with support for HDR content." Users will get access to 150 3D titles through the Apple TV app.
Vision Pro also introduces Apple Immersive Video, a remarkable new entertainment format pioneered by Apple that puts users inside the action with 180-degree, three-dimensional 8K recordings captured with Spatial Audio. Users can also enjoy new interactive experiences like Encounter Dinosaurs.
Priced at $3,499, Vision Pro will be available for pre-order in the US on January 19 at 5 AM Pacific Time and will start shipping on February 2. The headset was first showcased at WWDC 2023 in June last year, however, Apple has offered limited access to the actual hardware since then.