We’re getting a steady stream of information about the Apple Vision Pro ahead of the headset’s February 2 release date (with pre-orders starting January 19) – and we now have an idea of what kind of specs it will pack.
If MacRumors reports thisreferences found in ) that came with , as a report showed last year.
Interestingly enough, that earlier report (from noted Apple leaker Mark Gurman) claimed that the dev kits also came with 1TB of storage, and while Apple has announced that the Vision Pro will ship with a 256GB SSD to start with, it is very likely that there are configuration options for up to 1 TB of storage.
Apple’s specs problem
Assuming the Vision Pro comes with 16GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage, these specs, along with the M2 chip and the new R1 chip that carry all the data from the headset’s twelve cameras, five sensors and six microphones process, see that Apple means it when it says the Vision Pro is a spatial computing device, and not just a VR or AR headset (in fact, Apple has explicitly told developers who create Vision Pro apps that they won’t be looking at virtual reality or augmented reality).
It’s clear that Apple doesn’t see the Vision Pro as an evolution of VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3, but as an evolution of computers.
It’s a bold ambition, although I’m not completely sold on it at the moment (although that might change when I get to try out the Vision Pro). While Apple touts the Vision Pro with a lot of specs, it will satisfy people who plan to buy the headset, but it might leave Mac and MacBook owners a little miffed.
This is because Apple continues to sell Mac devices that have base models with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage, a set of laptop specs that are looking increasingly outdated in 2024. However, Apple has gone on the defensive, claiming that the 8GB uniform specs for laptops are becoming increasingly outdated. The memory that comes in the $1,599 MacBook Pro with M3 chip compares to 16GB of memory on a Windows PC.
That suggestion, made by Apple’s global product marketing Bob Borchers in an interview, rang rather hollow at the time – and if Apple now thinks 8GB isn’t enough for the Vision Pro, does that mean it’s changed its mind on whether it’s enough for new Macs and MacBooks? Considering how purposefully difficult it is for users to upgrade even the best Macs and MacBooks they own, I certainly hope so.