Apple Vision Pro points the way for others
A great step forward but kinda expensive.
By now, we know that sales of the Apple Vision Pro hasn’t been what Apple was expecting. But with the headset launching in more markets soon, perhaps it will pick up a bit more to satisfy the bean counters.
The issue isn’t the hardware. It’s amazing, and quite the experience for those of us who have never used any virtual reality or mixed reality headsets. You can check out our hands-on with the Apple Vision Pro for more details, but the long and short of it is that it’s going to fundamentally change future headsets — for the better.
If there’s one thing I know about Apple’s competitors, it’s that they are usually quick at “drawing inspiration” from Apple products. So now that Apple has shown off its version of mixed reality spatial computing, you can expect others to add some of the Apple Vision Pro’s features into their products. My guess: The hand and eye gestures that you can execute on the Apple Vision Pro are probably one of the first things they will want to emulate.
Lastly, it’s quite easy to surmise that not everyone is willing to pay so much for the headset — in Singapore, we’re talking a starting price of S$5,299. Add another S$219 if you need prescription inserts. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a line on June 28 at the Apple Store in Orchard Road for the headset. It is Apple, after all.
In our reviews this week, we got early hands-on with Sony’s upcoming Astro Bot game for the PS5, an eye-catching slim gaming laptop from HP, and a value-for-money electric shaver.
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is attractive, and at around 1.6kg, is relatively portable for a 14-inch gaming laptop. It sports a nice OLED screen powered by a capable Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics chip, albeit the lowest-power version. What stood out most to me is the RGB keyboard, which gives a soft fuzzy vibe when turned on. But you do end up paying a bit more for the design compared with other similar notebooks.
It’s taken a while, but lovable robot Astro is back. Or will be in the upcoming Astro Bot game for the PlayStation 5, launching September 6. A 3D platformer that lets you explore more than 50 planets to collect things, Astro Bot offered plenty of fun during our hands-on. Like the previous entry, it also tapped into the haptics and motion controls of the PS5’s DualSense controller for a more immersive experience.
At around S$30, the Enchen BlackStone 5S is ridiculously cheap for an electric shaver. And it’s not lacking in features, either. It has an LCD screen to display the fantastic battery life, and a trimmer that doesn't accidentally pop up while you’re holding it. In short, you’re getting a clean and smooth shave for cheap.