The company is looking to roll out these features with the visionOS 2.4 software update, which could arrive as soon as April, according to sources familiar with the situation. Developers will get access to these enhancements in beta form starting this week, though the sources requested anonymity since the details haven’t been officially announced yet.
Apple Intelligence on the Vision Pro will feature familiar tools like the Writing Tools interface, Genmojis, and the Image Playground app. This marks the first time Apple is bringing its AI capabilities from the iPhone, iPad, and Mac to the headset. Thanks to the Mac M2 chip and 16 gigabytes of memory in the device, it can handle on-device AI processing.
The timing of adding Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro is significant:
Recently, Alphabet Inc.’s Google unveiled its own mixed-reality operating system, Android XR, which incorporates its Gemini AI platform directly into the user interface. The first devices running this Google OS are set to launch later this year, starting with a Samsung headset that resembles the Vision Pro.
An Apple spokesperson chose not to comment on the matter. Bloomberg News reported back in June that Apple Intelligence was being developed for the headset.
This software update comes about a year after the Vision Pro's launch, as Apple aims to generate excitement around a $3,500 product that hasn’t sold in large numbers and is in need of substantial new features. The company is also looking to redefine its mixed-reality product strategy, having recently scrapped plans for a pair of augmented reality glasses that would connect to a Mac, according to Bloomberg News.
Apple is introducing a new application for the Vision Pro that will enable users to view spatial content specifically designed for the device, including 3D images and panoramas sourced from various external platforms. Although the company has been relatively slow in releasing media for the headset, this app aims to generate interest in the spatial media sector and encourage greater usage of the product.
In a related content initiative, Apple will launch an immersive video on February 21 within its TV app for the Vision Pro, focusing on the theme of arctic surfing.
While there are no significant updates planned for Siri on the Vision Pro in this forthcoming release, OpenAI's ChatGPT will be incorporated into the Writing Tools feature. Apple had initially intended to implement a substantial AI upgrade for Siri around April, but recent reports from Bloomberg News indicate that these features have encountered last-minute engineering challenges.
The upcoming visionOS update will introduce a redesigned guest user mode, allowing device owners to temporarily lend their headset to others. The company believes this feature could help users engage their friends and family with the Vision Pro, potentially driving sales. This change is expected to facilitate easier sharing of the headset among multiple users within a household.
For the first time, the new mode will enable the setup process to be managed through an iPhone. A Vision Pro user will be able to select which applications the guest user can access directly from their phone, a process that previously had to be completed on the Vision Pro itself.