‘Ugly’: Apple’s $5300 ‘ski goggles’ savaged in one moment

The rose-coloured glasses for Apple’s new mixed reality goggles are beginning to wear off with two main criticisms emerging.

While the tech world is so far impressed by Apple’s newly announced Vision Pro mixed reality headset announced on Monday, many in the general public are taking a different view.

Apple on Monday unveiled its long-anticipated mixed-reality headset — with a whopping AU $5288 price tag — marking the iPhone maker’s first major product launch in a decade.

Dubbed the “Vision Pro,” Apple CEO Tim Cook debuted the device as the centrepiece of the tech giant’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

“Vision Pro is a new kind of computer that augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world,” Cook said during the presentation, describing the device as an innovation on par with the original iPhone or Mac computer.

Apple's new Vision Pro virtual reality headset is displayed during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on June 5, 2023. Picture: Josh Edelson / AFP

“It’s the first Apple product you look through and not at.”

The Vision Pro, which resembles a set of hi-tech goggles, features a glass screen with 4K resolution displays for each eye on an aluminium alloy frame.

Price and its cumbersome design are so far leading the criticism.

The New York Post reports some experts were left unconvinced by the “very, very ambitious [AU $5288] price point.”

“I just think it’s going to be really challenging,” said Mark Vena, CEO and principal analyst at SmartTech Research.

Vena also pointed out that Apple did not provide concrete details on how much the headset weighs – a potential obstacle for users.

“Until we actually see the reviews and until you get a chance to play with it, it’s hard to make any judgments,” Vena said.

While overall earning her tick of approval, Washington Post tech writer Molly Roberts described the vision as “ugly goggles”.

Apple CEO Tim Cook. The release was the most significant product launch by the iconic iPhone maker since it unveiled the Apple Watch in 2015. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP)

“What chief executive Tim Cook reportedly once envisioned as a sleek pair of eyeglasses so unobtrusive they could be worn day in and night out has transformed into a pair of ski goggles connected by cable to an external battery pack,” she wrote.

“The disconnect might doom Apple’s hoped-for next big thing, for now.”

In the Twittesphere, some critics took aim at the ski-goggle-like design.

In a video from the WWDC23 announcement of the Apple Vision headset, the crowd can be heard audibly groaning when the “from US $3499” price tag is revealed.

Mashable reporter Matt Binder wrote, “Apple’s new Vision Pro will deliver new immersive experiences to users for example, in the photos below, these two women are experiencing for the very first time what it’s like to be a huge a** loser”.

And in a video from the WWDC23 announcement, the crowd can be heard audibly groaning when the “from US $3499” price tag is revealed.

The crowd moaned after they learned the price of the Apple Vision Pro…. @BarstoolFinancepic.twitter.com/qOo8596787

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 5, 2023

Hilarious reactions

Many on social media mocked the new product — with the price coming under fire.

Apple Vision Pro Max
$4499 pic.twitter.com/TRIqI6veLI

— Peché Africa 🇿🇦 (@pmcafrica) June 5, 2023

Our classic apple lol

Selling similar products at 2X price for only this  logo 😅

— Crypto Gems (@CryptoGemsHub) June 5, 2023

I saved $3499 and made my own VR glasses. pic.twitter.com/oFTTP43JPI

— Mohammed Alramahy (@NotFromFuture7) June 5, 2023

all I have to do is sell my home and then I can create a new home inside the VR that I can take with me wherever I go

— adam (@FGRAdam) June 5, 2023

The device has an adjustable headset and stretchable headband. Battery life is limited, with just two hours per use via a pocket-sized external battery pack.

Unlike a computer, Vision Pro won’t require a mouse or keyboard. Instead, users will interact with their virtual displays using voice commands, eyes, and hands.

A small dial included on the headset allows users to adjust how much their apps are visible relative to their real-world surroundings.