Audio AR is cheaper and easier to implement. Plus, hearing is an ambient sense, unlike sight. Plus, AirPods are getting a bunch of cool new AR features this fall.
Apple Vision Pro Review – 6 Months Later
The big news right now is Apple’s augmented reality (AR) spatial computing platform, the Vision Pro headset. It’s an incredible piece of gear, a masterpiece of engineering designed to seamlessly blend the real world with computer-generated imagery. It also blocks your view, weighs on your head, has a battery life of only two hours, costs $3,500, and is downright impractical. But we already have amazing AR in the form of your AirPods, and it’s about to get even better.
“A major advantage of audio AR is its ability to convey information without obstructing the user’s view,” software engineer Vladislav Bilay told Lifewire via email. “This can be especially problematic in situations where maintaining situational awareness is critical, such as when walking or driving. Audio AR, on the other hand, delivers information through sound, allowing users to receive relevant data while keeping their eyes on their surroundings.”
Audio is an ambient sense. You don’t have to turn towards a sound to hear it. If someone moves behind you during a conversation, you can still hear them. You can be fully focused on something and still hear the phone ringing in the other room, etc. This makes it very suitable for augmented reality.
