Apple’s Vision Pro headset may disappoint users with missing feature
Apple’s first demo videos of the Vision Pro showed people using it with a virtual keyboard laid out in front of them and several floating screens. As a result, it felt like a real computer or a “virtual Mac.”
But the floating keyboard might not be there at all on launch day, which would take away a big part of the setup. Mark Gurman, a reporter for Bloomberg, says that is what the most recent report says. Let’s dig in.
The creator of Apple’s VisionOS software has referred to it as a “complete write-off.” Gurman made no mention of the virtual keyboard in his Power On newsletter. This suggests that the virtual keyboard may not be present on launch day, as users must use each key one finger at a time, as they do before learning to type. The lack of an underdeveloped virtual keyboard is disappointing, as it could not replace the Mac in the foreseeable future.
Apple’s Vision Pro contains so many new technologies that even a company of Apple’s size would struggle to get everything perfectly lined up in time for launch day. If the keyboard is not fixed in the two weeks until release day, it won’t appear until Apple gets it right. This means users could be deprived of any kind of virtual, in-air typing, which is essential for integrating Vision Pro into people’s everyday lives.
In his Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that Apple will spend around 25 minutes showing potential customers how to use the Vision Pro, scanning their heads to ensure the correct fit, and going them through key features like spatial photos, multiple-window setups, integrated apps, and more. Apple still wants to show people that the headset can be used as a computer replacement, but it might have to do so without the use of the virtual keyboard.
Although a virtual keyboard is not essential to the Vision Pro’s capabilities, it would add some wow factor to the device, as controlling everything without any peripherals is a vital part of the device. Without the virtual keyboard, that proposition becomes weaker.
Ultimately, this is not going to slow Apple down too much, as the company’s developers are working hard to finish the in-air typing feature as soon as possible. However, its initial absence just shows how hard the device has to work to be able to replace your Mac any time soon.
