TL;DR
- A new report claims that Apple’s Vision Pro has fitness features.
- Apple may have been working with Nike to create workouts.
- Former employees say Apple may have hesitated to show off the Vision Pro’s fitness features because of the clunky external battery.
It may not seem like to those who haven’t tried, but VR can be a pretty good way to work out. However, when Apple showed off its Vision Pro headset at WWDC, fitness seemed to be missing from the list of potential uses of the device. A new report claims there may have been a reason why the feature didn’t appear at the show.
Although Apple did allow WWDC attendees to try out a meditation app on the Vision Pro, the company mostly avoided demonstrating the Vision Pro’s potential as a fitness device. This wasn’t because Apple thinks its device shouldn’t be used this way, but rather Apple may not have been ready to show off this capability.
According to The Information, the Cupertino-based firm has been planning workout apps for the headset. Reportedly, former employees say Apple explored partnering with Nike to create workouts. On top of that, it appears the tech giant even considered creating face cushions designed for “sweaty, high-intensity workouts.”
One of these wellness apps was reportedly a yoga app. That yoga app would use the hardware’s camera to measure breathing by observing the user’s chest and torso. There was apparently a tai chi app as well. However, this software wasn’t ready by the time Apple held its event.
At the same time, the former employees told the outlet that Apple may have hesitated to show these apps even if they were ready in time. Those ex-employees claim Apple may have avoided revealing the tech due to the headset’s clunky external battery. Additionally, the company might have been worried about the front-facing glass being too fragile and poor hand tracking.
Tim Cook hasn’t been seen in public wearing the Vision Pro, supposedly because the company is afraid of it becoming a meme. Seeing how Apple is so focused on appearances, it would make sense that it wouldn’t want an image of someone fumbling around with the battery pack floating around.
The Vision Pro doesn’t have a released date, but it does have a launch window of 2024. That should be more than enough of time for Apple to figure out its fitness strategy with the $3,500 headset.
