No one needs to be a technology industry analyst to know that almost all augmented reality products offered by top technology companies have not fared well. Apple’s Vision Pro is the newest addition to this market. Can it be the salvation the AR devices industry needs? That will depend on how Apple positions the product.

Opportunities and reality differ

There is an opportunity to become a market leader in flying taxis, but the reality is that there are numerous challenges. There is also an opportunity to be a drone fleet rental company, where customers can request a drone to show up on an app and attach some package to it, which the drone will then deliver to another part of the town. Execution is very challenging.

The gap between opportunity and reality for augmented reality products is not as wide as the examples. But the approach being taken does nothing to cover the gap. Methods of building a virtual digital twin of malls, real estate, etc., though executable, are not successful. There was an opportunity, but the reality was that there was not much demand, as the investment trends in metaverse properties indicate.

I believe launching these products, where we identify an opportunity and then customize an AR product around it, is flawed. The key is to initially put the technology out there and then very closely observe it to see the opportunity spots.

Let us use the example of Apple Vision Pro

Regarding product differentiation, the only differentiation is what comes standard with Apple products: power and quality. But then, these can be used to build additional differentiating capabilities.

The power infused in the product has put it in a price range that will make it accessible only to hard-core Apple fanboys, who already have some perceived idea about how they will use the product. To be honest, I may buy one, too, once I have some funds to spare. After all, it is an Apple product.

Many categories of users are being floated around- Gamers, Developers, etc. My “Friday Musings” video below explains why this will have difficulty penetrating these segments in numbers.

But open to exploration

But Apple has the opportunity I identified above- of putting the technology out and seeing where it sticks. That opportunity comes in the form of providing early access to VisionOS for developers. This early access to developers to VisionPro is a prudent move.

I think B2B is THE segment to target, with many opportunities. If I can think of these opportunities, competent developers across the globe will probably come up with quite a few. These apps may help Apple find the gold nuggets and identify the areas where the headset can revolutionize specific experience-related business processes.

It is not that opportunities in B2B have not been identified. Some of these identified opportunities, like fashion, have great potential, but the execution is too siloed, keeping the AR device at the center. That, in my opinion, is hampering absorption.

As long as companies will take the approach to launch products around their perception of how they “should-be” used, the challenges of AR devices will continue.