Apple’s Vision Pro will provide a virtual keyboard. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says it’s pretty much worthless and users of the “spatial computer” will want to use a physical keyboard instead.
“The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0,” he tweets. “You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You’ll want a Bluetooth keyboard.
According to a June 2023 report by The Verge at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple designer Eugene Krivoruchko explained that it’s important to offer plenty of visual and audio feedback while using the virtual keyboard, to make up for the “missing tactile information” involved with touching a read peripheral.
“While the finger is above the keyboard, buttons display a hover state and a highlight that gets brighter as you approach the button surface,” Krivoruchko said “It provides a proximity cue and helps guide the finger to target. At the moment of contact, the state change is quick and responsive, and is accompanied by matching spatial sound effect.”
The Apple Vision Pro will be available on Friday, Feb. 2, starting at US$3,499 with 256GB of storage. ZEISS Optical Inserts will be available: $99 for reading lens and $149 for prescription lens.
Pre-orders will be accepted starting on January 19 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Orders are limited to the United States for the time being, and Apple hasn’t provided details on when the headset might be available in other countries.
The Vision Pro comes with a Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band — giving users two options for the fit that works best for them. Apple Vision Pro also includes a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions, an Apple Vision Pro Cover for the front of the device, Polishing Cloth, Battery, USB-C Charge Cable, and USB-C Power Adapter.
