Heralded as Apple's most significant product announcement since the original iPhone, the Vision Pro mixed reality headset was repeatedly hailed as nothing less than 'magical' during its super slick unveiling at yesterday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC23). Our experts offer an initial take on how Apple's push into 'spatial computing' measures up the morning after.
It is almost time to experience Apple’s vision of the future of computing – spatial, connected, collaborative, immersive. In line with the clean, uncluttered product designs and user experiences that have set them apart from the competition, Vision Pro is “the first Apple Product you look through, not at,” proclaimed Apple's Tim Cook, “a new kind of computer that augments reality with the digital world.”
Just before the launch of “Apple’s first spatial computer”, those watching the 2023 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC23) live might have noticed an array of new features across the whole range of Apple devices, mostly focused on sharing between people, devices, applications and more. This, interspersed with clips from Oscar winning ‘multiverse’ movie Everything Everywhere All At Once, made many of us watching from the Capco office wonder if Apple was trying to suggest that they are the metaverse – although the M word was conspicuous by its absence.
The Vision Pro headset strikes the balance between the social and the digital: Apple has focused on creating an immersive environment that extends the user’s visual field via a low-latency, 4k resolution digital display, blending Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Looking beyond the price tag – which puts the Vision Pro well out of reach of most consumers and businesses – Apple has added a new immersive entry point to its ecosystem of users, devices, and services.
“Apple's
– Gaelan Woolham, Executive Director
legendary build quality, combined with integration into their full ecosystem is
potentially industry breaking”
The dream of abandoning our laptops for sleek headsets that offer an infinite window into the virtual world, engaging in work, leisure and play through one immersive device, is alluring. In truth, Apple's vision of extended reality (XR) becoming a societal norm will undoubtedly take some time to materialize.
From a financial services perspective, Apple's integration within the banking ecosystem provides a competitive advantage and positions the Vision Pro as a more seamless choice compared to immersive technologies offered by competitors who lack existing ties to financial institutions.
Apple’s significant role as an innovator across technology, financial services, and society more generally cannot be discounted. Their focus on user experience has set it apart from their competitors and helped to drive their success for over the past 15 years. The Vision Pro is the next step in that direction, and may pave the way for new financial services, applications and experiences.
“ Apple
– Michael Moerman, Partner
is working more on the transition between our current reality and what might be
tomorrow’s ‘augmented’ or ‘virtual’ reality. This is game changing for the
industry.”
There is plenty businesses can do before they dive into the immersive world of extended reality (XR). They can start to build and integrate their own ecosystems of tailored products and services that connect people with products and importantly, other people – creating new realities, forging long lasting relationships and immersing customers in hyper-personalised experiences that unlock new opportunities for growth.
For every customer experience transformation unlocked by new realities built on a foundation of data, machine learning, and Generative AI, designed with the user at their core, accessible through “the most advanced personal electronic device ever”, there are opportunities to transform the world of work.
Is it time to say goodbye to our laptops, global travel and even the office? Early financial services industry adopters believe the metaverse can help them improve how work gets done in their organizations. One approach is to unlock deeper insights from data gathered in the Metaverse which can include a wide variety of consumer biometric, attitudinal, and behavioural information.
Leaders also look to build employee engagement and morale through immersive metaverse experiences, including virtual onboarding, virtual meetings, offsites, collaboration, and training. Capco’s recent work with TD Bank and Deutsche Bank have proven the value of immersive experiences in the world of work – unlocking new ways to connect, collaborate and learn.
Maybe we are finally seeing the end of monitors, messy desks, and mindless meetings. Here comes immersive work, collaborative play, interconnected devices, and services and experiences that do not care how you access them – as long as you are part of the ecosystem. It has been a long time coming – and we are now closer than ever.
Capco is committed to exploring these new realities of client, customer and employee experiences that have the power to transform the industries that change the world. Please contact us to find out more.