Apple's bold push for "spatial enlistment"

 Apple's bold push for "spatial enlistment"

Mac is urging its innovators to present the new Vision Expert headset as a "spatial computing" device rather than a product of artificial intelligence or augmented reality.

Significance: Apple's latest attempt to leverage its reality-distorting influence, particularly within the realm of advertising terminology, is evident in the persuasive missives sent to colleagues this Tuesday.

The big picture: Apple's statement suggests it wants us to view its $3500 headset, set for a Feb. 2 release, not merely as a gaming gadget or a rival to Meta's Quest VR line but as the beginning of a gradual reordering of the digital landscape akin to the iPhone revolution.

The company released a promotional trailer for the Vision Expert, echoing the iconic campaign that propelled the iPhone into the spotlight.
Throwback: Apple, the tech industry's priciest yet most substantial (by market cap) giant, slightly ahead of Microsoft, has a history of entering and reshaping early market segments, from the first iPod and iPhone to tablets and watches.

The company's playbook has consistently been to declare, "Our product is pioneering a completely new category!

 Apple aims to deliver a cutting-edge user experience featuring a range of dynamic windows, gestural commands, mixed reality video, and other innovations.

"Spatial computing" — not a novel term, but recently confined to academic discussions and VR enthusiasts — accurately encapsulates that vision, a term Apple has been championing since it unveiled the Vision Master a year ago.
Certainly, however: The name might face resistance and has yet to become commonplace.

"Spatial" sounds more like a mathematical problem than a must-have device.
When contemplating the myriad roles of technology in our lives, "computing" isn't the first word that springs to mind.
"Spatial computing" feels like something you'd pursue a Ph.D. in, not a promising tech gadget.
Quick note: Apple is banking on the powerful gravitational pull of its brand and marketing expertise to carve out a new market and distinguish Vision Ace from the niche and worn-out VR sector.

This strategy could succeed. However, Apple is also swimming against a different current simultaneously.

Its promotion of spatial computing comes amidst the peak of the artificial intelligence frenzy — a moment when average users, the tech media, and Silicon Valley investors are captivated by the potential of ChatGPT and its generative artificial intelligence counterparts.
The Vision Expert might serve as a pioneering platform for new AI-based applications. Utilizing a chatbot to navigate seamlessly could be the optimal way for users to interact with and command the innovative device.
Nevertheless, Apple has been somewhat tardy to the artificial intelligence scene — and currently, the chatbot wave has consumed so much attention in the tech space that even the formidable Apple may find itself somewhat overshadowed.
Reality check: "Spatial computing" feels like an oddly grounded marketing move from a company that typically nails its nomenclature as precisely as it does its sales.

Then again, "iPad" was a terrible name that faced severe criticism before the product's release — and yet, the tablet PC soared to success regardless.