Apple Metaverse and the teaser marketing with the Vision Pro – is it coming or not?

Apple's unveiling of the Vision Pro at WWDC 2023 caused quite a stir and was considered a highlight of the event. The long-awaited unveiling of Apple's first mixed reality headset equipped with the powerful M2 chip impressed technically and dwarfed the competition.

However, it also became clear that Apple mainly showed off the Vision Pro's polished features during the presentation and deliberately left out many of the larger issues. There were still some challenges and less smooth behavior that Apple barely talked about during the demo and even in the developer sessions. The fact that the Apple Vision Pro isn't scheduled to launch until 2024 shows that Apple is aware that there is still a lot of work ahead of them. Apple has now begun to massively expand its team to address these challenges.

Another point that stood out after the visionOS SDK was released was the partial porting of Apple's own apps. Calendar, Maps, Books and Mail do not yet have native versions for the Vision Pro. In addition, the reliability and stability of the system itself also needs to be improved, where Apple's developers still have a lot of work to do to achieve this by next year.

Another not yet complete feature is “Eyesight”, which enables the user's eyes to be represented. Although this feature could be admired during the presentation, the subsequent tech demos with invited journalists were not available.

By not mentioning the Metaverse, Apple has achieved two brilliant things in terms of marketing (teaser marketing):

• Meta (Facebook )'s meta -verse is still buzzing around in the heads, although the term metavers have long since established itself as an independent industry regardless of Meta. In order not to make an advertisement for Meta unnecessarily during the product presentation, from which it could have jumped up again in the media, Apple has completely omitted it and kept his product presentation clean. With this, Apple has also done a big favor to the Metaverse industry and meta gives no chance of standing back in the spotlight from the sinking and emphasizing its own commercial as well as for industry “senseless” meta-off.

  More about this here: Opinion & criticism about “Metaworse”: The Metaverse is crap – and risky, pointless & dangerous for companies | Mechanical engineering & industry sector

• To date, there has been no correction from Apple that there are no ambitions for the Metaverse. Not mentioning it is not a no and yet this topic dominates the media. This is the tried and tested teaser marketing that Apple is very good at.

In fact, I assume that Apple doesn't want to commit itself yet, because the exact definition for the metaverse has not yet been finalized for Apple and many others. Fraunhofer is also involved in the (industrial) metaverse and so it is no longer a classic buzzword when serious companies or institutions deal with it.

More about it here:

• What is the Industrial Metaverse? What is the difference between the 3D platforms and their 3D demos and digital twins?

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The marketing, in which one remains unclear with details to increase curiosity, can be referred to as “teaser marketing”. It is a tactic in which information is deliberately held back in order to arouse interest and curiosity with potential customers and to make them want to know more.

This type of marketing can take different forms. For example, companies can launch teaser campaigns where they publish short and mysterious promotional clips, advertisements or social media posts that only reveal a fraction of the information. This piques the target audience's curiosity and encourages them to find out more about the product or service being advertised.

Mysterious marketing can also be achieved through clever choice of words and hints in the advertising message. Instead of disclosing everything, targeted information is given that generates enough interest to lead the target audience to seek out more information or engage with the advertised offer.

This marketing strategy is based on people's psychological response to uncertainty and curiosity. By withholding information, a lack of completeness is created, which increases the desire for more information and increases the likelihood that potential customers will take action to obtain the missing knowledge.

Mystery marketing can be effective in attracting attention and generating interest. It can help keep a brand or product in people's minds and motivate them to learn more. However, it's important to find the right balance to ensure that enough information is given to maintain interest, but not withheld too much to frustrate or lose potential customers.

Banks Metaverse, where is the potential? – Image: Xpert.Digital

From duopoly to metapole – when we run the risk of losing track

The duopoly era in Germany, in which there were only three TV channels, lasted from the late 1950s to the 1980s. During this time, the public broadcasters ARD and ZDF were the main players in the visual market. These channels offered viewers a limited selection of programs and covered various genres such as news, entertainment, education and culture.

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The limit can be broken with an appropriate metaverse. However, it must not be limited to one device (VR glasses), but must be usable on all possible visualization displays. It is doubtful whether a refrigerator with a display is included. But who knows whether in 50 years we will still have smart devices with us and whether we will be able to use every possible device in the environment if necessary.

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Clarity is a central element of UX design in Metapol. It's important that users can easily discover and access the content, apps, and features that are relevant to them. A cluttered main view that shows all apps and information at once can be confusing and overwhelming. Therefore, design principles that allow for a clear hierarchy and organization of content should be applied.

More about it here:

• From duopoly to metapole with extended reality: Metaverse for banks? Where is the potential?

VR glasses (Virtual Reality) and MR glasses (Mixed Reality) have the potential to shape and change the Metaverse in many ways. Through their immersive functions and the integration of virtual and real elements, they open up new possibilities for interacting with the digital world.

Virtual worlds and social interaction

VR glasses allow users to immerse themselves in immersive virtual worlds and interact with other users in real time. The Metaverse can thus become a place where people from all over the world can come together, meet, communicate and carry out joint activities. For example, users can participate in virtual events, attend concerts, play games, or hold virtual meetings in a VR environment.

Augmented reality and contextualization

MR glasses open up the possibility of seamlessly integrating digital content into the real world. Users can see information, graphics or instructions directly in their field of vision while viewing their surroundings. This allows them to expand their experiences and access information in real time without leaving their physical environment. For example, MR glasses can be used in medicine to display relevant medical data to doctors during an operation.

Virtual trading environments

VR and MR glasses allow users to experience virtual shopping experiences. Instead of just looking at products on a screen, they can immerse themselves in an immersive virtual environment where they can view, try on or test products from different angles. Virtual trading environments can make shopping more convenient and engaging, giving users a more realistic feeling before making a purchase decision.

Virtual training and simulations

VR and MR glasses offer an effective way to conduct training and simulations. Instead of requiring physical training rooms or expensive equipment, companies can create virtual training environments where employees can gain hands-on experience and develop specific skills. For example, pilots can train in a virtual flight simulation or surgeons can gain practical experience in a virtual surgery simulation.

Creative design and expression

The Metaverse provides a platform for creative design and expression. With VR and MR glasses, users can create works of art in virtual spaces, sculpt virtual sculptures or develop immersive stories and experiences. Creative tools and platforms allow users to use their imagination and share their works with other users.

➡️ The development and integration of VR and MR glasses into the Metaverse is still in its early stages. There are still technological challenges, such as improving image quality, reducing latency, and ensuring a convenient and user-friendly design. In addition, privacy and security issues must also be taken into account to gain user trust.

➡️ Nevertheless, VR and MR glasses offer exciting opportunities to shape and expand the metaverse. They can change the way people interact, learn, act and express their creativity. With further advances in technology, we will certainly see more fascinating developments in this area in the future.

The following list contains the top ten VR, AR and MR glasses manufacturers, along with their full company names and some important information about their products. It is important to note that the order of the top ten may vary depending on market developments and sales figures. This list provides an overview of some of the leading manufacturers of VR, AR and MR glasses that have made significant contributions to the development and spread of these technologies.

New: Apple Inc.

• Known for the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset
• Available from 2024

Oculus (Oculus VR, LLC, a subsidiary of Meta/Facebook)

• Known for Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest and Oculus Go
• Oculus Rift was one of the first high-end VR headsets on the market
• Oculus Quest offers wireless VR experiences without a PC or cable

HTC (HTC Corporation)

• Known for HTC Vive and Vive Pro
• HTC Vive was one of the first VR headsets in collaboration with Valve
• Vive Pro offers improved resolution and tracking features

Sony (Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC)

• Known for PlayStation VR (PSVR)
• PSVR is compatible with the PlayStation 4 console and offers VR gaming experiences

Microsoft (Microsoft Corporation)

• Known for Microsoft HoloLens
• HoloLens is AR glasses that overlay digital content into the real world

Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)

• Known for Samsung Gear VR
• Gear VR is a mobile VR platform developed in collaboration with Oculus

Google (Google LLC)

• Known for Google Cardboard, Google Daydream and Google Glass
• Google Cardboard is a low-cost VR platform that works with smartphones
• Google Daydream is a mobile VR platform for select Android smartphones
• Google Glass was an early AR glasses with a focus on augmented information and notifications

Magic Leap (Magic Leap, Inc.)

• Known for Magic Leap One
• Magic Leap One is a pair of AR glasses that overlay digital content into the real world

Valve Corporation

• Known for Valve Index
• Valve Index is a high quality VR headset with high resolution and tracking accuracy

Pimax (Pimax Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.)

• Known for Pimax VR headsets
• Pimax offers VR headsets with a wide field of view (FOV) and high resolution

Lenovo (Lenovo Group Limited)

• Known for Lenovo Mirage Solo
• Lenovo Mirage Solo is a standalone VR headset with integrated Google Daydream