Is The Apple Vision Pro Worth The Investment For Lawyers?
This device is the harbinger of the next stage of computing, especially its user interface.
Over the past month, you’ve likely heard the noise about the U.S. release of the Apple Vision Pro in early February. For many people, the most notable feature of this device is its base price: a whopping $3,499. I’ve been a diehard Apple fan for years and bought the iPhone when it was initially released in 2007. Despite my Apple fandom, even I had initial reservations about the cost.
That changed when I read Jeff Richardson’s iPhone JD post about using the Apple Vision Pro to watch movies when traveling. I travel often for work, and the idea of using it to convert the increasingly stressful and unpleasant experience of plane travel into something more bearable won me over. Jeff explained that “[T]he movie looked amazing … I was totally immersed … . There is no question that a Vision Pro is the best way to watch a movie.”
I was sold. I bought one later that week and have been experimenting with it ever since.
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The verdict? For most lawyers, there’s no reason to rush out and invest in this device. Unless you’re an early adopter of Apple products, I would wait a year or even more until newer versions are released and more apps are created specifically for the Apple Vision Pro, especially in the productivity category.
But, if you’re a tech-savvy lawyer who enjoys diving into new technology that has the potential to change the way work gets done, you might want to consider spending your hard-earned money. This device is the harbinger of the next stage of computing, especially its user interface.
Previously I wrote about my experience with Meta Quest 2 goggles and the Metaverse. While I was impressed with the immersiveness of that technology, my main takeaway was that there was no need to invest significant amounts of time into traversing the Metaverse. Instead, lawyers primarily needed to “learn about the Metaverse since data from communications and interactions in VR worlds may be relevant to a client’s case.”
I still believe that lawyers do not yet need to dive into VR, but the technology is changing rapidly, and the time for all-in engagement is approaching quickly. Here’s why: Meta Quest goggles require hand controllers to interact with the environment. Apple Vision Pro goggles do not.
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Instead, you merely look at what you’d like to interact with and move your hands to interact within the interface in front of your field of vision. In many ways, it feels like the interactive computing scene from “Mission Impossible.”
If this type of interface sounds appealing, and you decide to take the plunge, here are a few adoption tips.
First, carefully consider your options if you wear glasses. Unlike the Meta Quest goggles, the Apple Vison Pro does not accommodate glasses. This means you have two choices: invest in prescription lenses for the device or wear contacts.
If you happen to be both nearsighted and farsighted, and occasionally wear contacts, I would suggest wearing contacts when you use your Apple Vision Pro.
My contacts only address my nearsightedness, so I require reading glasses when wearing my contacts. For that reason, I purchased corrective lenses for farsightedness from Zeiss Optical Inserts when I bought my goggles. Those are available off the shelf for $99.
If you choose to purchase prescription lens inserts, which cost $150, it will take longer to receive them, they must be specially ordered and will be delivered separately. In other words, you’ll have to pay more and will be forced to endure delayed gratification. Make sure you carefully research your options and choose wisely before committing.
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Another important consideration is headphone compatibility, especially if you plan to use the device in public. I own a pair of Sony noise-canceling earbuds, and while they are compatible, it was challenging to get them to connect to the goggles, and the sound quality is less than ideal since they’re not optimized for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s AirPods, on the other hand, are fully compatible, and by all reports, the sound quality is wonderful. So if I ever work up the courage to head out in public wearing the goggles, I plan to invest in a set of Apple AirPods before doing so.
Finally, let’s talk about the apps. There are already over a thousand apps (and counting) created for the device, and many iPad apps are also compatible. The number of device-specific apps will undoubtedly increase quickly, adding more value and increasing the utility of the Apple Vision Pro. Currently, exploring the available apps is challenging since the App Store interface leaves a lot to be desired. Apple highlights some of the App Store editors’ favorite apps, but it’s not easy to browse through available apps outside of the ones they choose to feature.
Over time, many business apps will be added that will provide significant value, but as of now, the apps I’ve been most impressed with are designed for pure entertainment.
My most-used apps right now are the various video-streaming services. Watching shows and movies on the Apple Vision Pro is an incredible experience and is better than any other method I’ve encountered, including the movie theater.
Other favorite apps of mine have one thing in common: they involve a level of immersiveness or utility that sets this type of computer interface apart from all others and truly highlights the value of virtual reality apps. Here are the apps that have impressed me the most:
- Encounter Dinosaurs: This is a free app that enables you to interact with dinosaurs in a very realistic virtual environment. It’s very entertaining and thoroughly immersive.
- Crouton: I love the concept of this recipe app that provides multiple timers along with recipes that can be pinned wherever you’d like for reference as you cook. As of yet, I haven’t been brave enough to wear my goggles while cooking due to concerns about grease splatter or other damage. I love the concept, however impractical it may be.
- The Museum That Never Was: Step right up into a virtual museum that includes a tour of the exhibits, all of which are from a fictional timeline. You can interact with the exhibits, and manipulate and explore the objects or models of buildings and space stations.
- Art Universe: If you are interested in learning about new artists, this is the app for you. Using it you can explore artwork, and artists, and even purchase pieces of art.
- Widgetsmith: With this app you can personalize your device by creating customizable widgets for such functions as weather, photos, timers, and more.
The bottom line: the Apple Vision Pro represents a significant leap forward in virtual reality and immersive technology. Its hefty price tag and initial lack of productivity-focused applications may deter immediate adoption by most lawyers, but tech-savvy lawyers with a penchant for early adoption may very well find them to be a worthy investment. With time, as the technology improves and the app ecosystem grows, the value proposition will increase exponentially, paving the way for wider adoption within the profession.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and Director of Business and Community Relations at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack and she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com.
