Bloomberg’s Gurman Shares More Information About the Apple Vision Pro

Pre-orders for Apple’s Vision Pro will kick off this Friday, January 19, and the new spatial computing headset will be available in-store beginning Friday, February 2.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared more information about Apple’s much-anticipated headset.

The Vision Pro Virtual Keyboard is a ‘Complete Write-Off’

If you’ve watched the video of the Vision Pro’s unveiling last June, you’ll likely remember the device’s virtual keyboard, which appeared to float in mid-air, allowing users to input text while in the headset’s “spatial computing environment.” However, you shouldn’t get rid of your physical Magic Keyboard quite yet, as Gurman doesn’t think the virtual keyboard is quite ready for daily use.

Gurman describes the visionOS 1.0 virtual keyboard experience as “a complete write-off,” and says users stick with their Bluetooth keyboard instead.

According to Apple, the virtual keyboard buttons mimic the experience of pushing physical keys on a real keyboard, providing spatial sound effects to “compensate for the missing tactile information.”

However, Gurman’s comments indicate Apple hasn’t yet perfected the virtual keyboard experience. Happily, Mac users can use their Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad if they want traditional tactile input.

Apple Vision Pro M2 Chip Has 10 GPU, 8 CPU Cores

Gurman also tweeted that the Apple Vision Pro’s M2 chip is equipped with ten GPU cores and eight CPU cores. That’s equivalent to the chip used in Apple’s high-end MacBook Air laptops.

Apple had confirmed early on that its new mixed reality headset would be powered by an M2 processor, but it hadn’t specified which variant of the chip Apple would be using.

The M2 chip is currently used in both of Apple’s current 13.6- and 15.3-inch MacBook Air models and the Mac mini. The M2 is built on 5-nanometer technology and has an 8-core CPU, like the M1. However, it boasts support for eight or ten GPU cores, up from the seven or eight GPU cores in the M1.

The M2 processor is considered to be a previous-generation chip, as Apple has since released its M3 chips, which power its latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models.

The M2 chip in the Vision Pro will handle the processing of content running the visionOS operating system, execute computer vision algorithms, and provide graphical content. However, it doesn’t work solo, as a dedicated custom-built R1 chip will work alongside, processing information coming from the cameras, sensors, and microphones that are built into the Vision Pro.

Last week it was revealed that the entry-level Vision Pro will boast 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Some reports have indicated that Apple could offer models with as much as 1TB of storage space, but that hasn’t yet been officially confirmed.

Gurman also mentioned that Apple Card installments will be a payment option at checkout, both online and in retail stores, allowing buyers to spread the cost of the device over monthly payments with no interest.

The Apple Vision Pro will be available in the United States, starting at $3,499 with 256GB of storage. Apple Vision Pro pre-orders will begin on Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. PST, with in-store availability beginning Friday, February 2.