How Steve Jobs’ “Vision” Became a Reality With the Apple Vision Pro

At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Tim Cook showed off Apple‘s newest technological marvel, the Vision Pro. All everybody could think about was experiencing what Apple had been working on for years and how the device would change their lives.

Yet, from the looks of it, a painful realization seemed to escape the collective consciousness in the middle of an atmosphere of excitement and amazement. This AR headset was not just another technological leap, it was the realization of a vision, the manifestation of a dream that once captivated the late Steve Jobs.

Few people would’ve understand how important this moment was. In many ways, it was a tribute to the lasting memory of a man whose foresight continues to literally shape the world we live in today.

I’d imagine a lot of people saying how Cook and his team have shattered the boundaries of what was once thought impossible, and it’s true. With the Vision Pro, they have achieved what Jobs himself once believed was a challenge, delivering a portable video experience that can stand toe-to-toe with even the most high-end home theatre setups.

Even Steve Jobs, who was known for his for new ideas and forward thinking, has admitted that portable video devices have their limits, and it’s a barrier that needs to be broken.

During an interview years ago, Steve Jobs highlighted the strengths he saw in portable audio experiences via headphones, and he expressed his desire for a similar breakthrough in the video realm. He stated,

The fundamental problem here is that headphones are a miraculous thing…. You put a pair of headphones and you get the same experience you get with a great pair of speakers. There is no such thing as headphones for video.

There is not something that I can carry with me that I can put on and it gives me the same experience I get when I’m watching, you know a 50-inch plasma display at home. Until somebody invents that, you’re gonna have these opposing constraints.

Tim Cook, who worked closely with Steve Jobs for many years and led the development of the Vision Pro, may have been aware of this. Recognizing the importance of this vision, Apple did not appear to have held back in investing a lot of time and money to make this headset a reality. Based on the demos we saw at the event, it almost looks as if Apple has put its competitors in the AR field to shame.

This is also one of many evidences we see when we consider ‘when’ Apple began focusing its whole attention to this headset. It was Steve’s vision, and he had certainly studied it. Assuming this assumption is correct, it seems as if Apple has had this product on their mind for even more than a decade.

Steve Jobs may no longer be with us, but his legacy lives on, embedded in every pixel of the Vision Pro. When we put on those glasses, it serves as a reminder of this vision, and all the amazing things he did. Just like with the iPhone, that stands strong, even after sixteen years in this highly competitive market, but,

I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.

Steve Jobs

To be honest, the Vision Pro is more than just a product, it is a reminder of a visionary who thought that technology could change the world. It tells us that dreams can come true and that with hard work and creativity, we can make a future that once seemed impossible.