It's been just over two years of owning the Apple Vision Pro. After spending three months in Tokyo and one month in Manila with it as a digital nomad, I have a much better sense of how AVP fits into my life. Here are my thoughts:

• The "Lie Flat" Device — Back in 2011, Steve Jobs argued that the PC is a "lean forward" device — meant for sitting at a desk, looking at a monitor, and actively working. In contrast, he pitched iPad 1.0 as a "lean back" device, primarily for consumption.¹ If we stick to that analogy, AVP is a "lie flat" device. I've spent hours lying in bed and on the couch watching movies on a theater-sized screen floating above me, and I've grown quite fond of casually browsing Reddit and AirPlaying my iPhone while binging TV shows.
  • …Except when sick — When I'm dealing with congestion or a headache, the very last thing I want to do is strap a giant headset to my face.
• Amazing in small spaces — AVP's ability to dial up immersion makes small hotel rooms and economy seats feel like wide-open spaces. There were so many times I took off the headset and thought, "Whoa, I forgot I was in this tiny room."
  • Gray area for airlines — Airlines are cracking down on power banks due to fire risks, and AVP's external battery now sits in an awkward gray area. To a flight attendant, it can look suspiciously like a power bank. To a techie, it's the device's primary power source — no different conceptually from a laptop's internal battery. In practice, whether I get to use it mid-flight comes down to who's working the cabin that day.
• The New Dual Knit Strap — A big improvement in comfort over the original Solo Knit and Dual Loop straps.
• Typing Still Sucks — Unless I have a Bluetooth keyboard connected (which I never do), I've given up on any meaningful typing. Passwords and quick searches only. Hopefully Apple adds something like Apple TV's Remote Keyboard feature.²
  • My Workaround: Hyperduck — Instead of pecking at the virtual keyboard, I use Hyperduck to send links to my Mac, where I can actually be productive.
• Multitasking is Not Great — Native Vision apps are intentionally designed with big buttons and extra padding to improve Gaze & Pinch accuracy. The downside: apps take up a lot of visual space, and having multiple windows side-by-side means turning my head way more than I'd like. I've settled on Mac Virtual Display or a max of two windows at a time. Hopefully Apple adds something like macOS' Mission Control down the road.³
• Mac Virtual Display: Ultrawide on Demand — Here's what I've realized working remotely: I don't like wearing AVP for an entire workday — but that's okay, because about 85% of my work is fine on my 16" MacBook Pro screen. The remaining 15% — when I need serious screen real estate for designs, documentation, VS Code, Terminal, Claude, and Chrome all at once — Mac Virtual Display absolutely shines.
  • Can't stream DRM'd content via Mac Virtual Display — Due to DRM and HDCP standards, streaming video to your Mac while using Mac Virtual Display results in a blacked-out screen. Frustrating, because I love having a shitty horror movie running in the background while I work.
• No True iPhone Mirroring — AirPlaying the iPhone screen to AVP is possible, but true iPhone Mirroring — with actual control of the phone, like on macOS — isn't. This feels like an obvious feature Apple will add eventually.
• AirPlay, iPhone Mirroring, or Mac Virtual Display — I hate having to pick just one. Ideally I'd mirror both my Mac and iPhone to AVP simultaneously and stay fully immersed. But because all three share the same underlying wireless pipeline, only one can stream at a time. (And I refuse to pay $300 for the Developer Strap to work around it.)
• Official YouTube App — HUGE. Once they add downloadable videos for YouTube Premium subscribers, AVP becomes the ultimate travel entertainment device.
• NBA Courtside POV — GAME-CHANGER. My Lakers were the first team to broadcast games as immersive video, and it's unlike anything else. Courtside seats for a regular-season Lakers game start around $2,500 — I'd argue that watching just two marquee games in immersive video alone justifies the cost of AVP.
• Spatial Photos & Videos — This one hits different. Before my dog passed away, I managed to capture a handful of spatial videos. Now, whenever I feel like my memories of him are starting to fade, I rewatch those videos and I'm instantly transported back to that exact moment. Nothing else does that. Nothing.

When I originally bought my AVP, a big part of my Boy Math⁴ was a 50/50 split between work and entertainment. Even with the much-improved Dual Knit strap, the weight still makes wearing it for an entire workday uncomfortable. My usage has settled at about 10% work — and honestly, I'm cool with that, for now.

I can get by without an external monitor for my MacBook Pro…but I still prefer one. I can get by without my iPad Pro streaming background video while I work…but I still prefer having it. My plan now is to hold onto my LG Ultrafine 5K and iPad Pro as long as possible, and bet that Apple Vision Pro 2 or 3 gets more comfortable by the time I'm ready to retire them.

As for the remaining 90%? As a bachelor with plenty of uninterrupted downtime, I fucking love my Apple Vision Pro. When I need an evening to rest and recharge, nothing beats lying flat in bed, fully immersed in an IMAX movie floating above me.

Two years in, Apple Vision Pro still feels like a device that's figuring itself out — and honestly, so am I. The hardware will get lighter. The software will get smarter. Features I've been waiting for (iPhone Mirroring, downloadable YouTube, better multitasking) feel less like wishful thinking and more like inevitabilities.

Check back with me in another year or two.

Back in 2017, I wrote:

While everyone is talking about next-gen smartphones like the very impressive Galaxy Note 8 and the highly-anticipated iPhone X, I'm more interested in what's being built on top of smartphones that will bridge us to the next big thing — Augmented Reality.

At the time, Apple was on the verge of launching ARKit for iOS developers, which was Apple's first public building block towards the next big (hardware) thing that comes after the smartphone[^1].

Fast forward seven years to today, we finally have Apple Vision Pro (AVP).

The hype cycle has completely come and gone these past few months, but I've been using my AVP every day since launch and I've collected all my thoughts on the hardware, software, and user experience into this post.

Let's get into it.

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Whenever a new technology or big redesign comes along, reactions tend to split between two types of people:

1. Those who like things just the way they are.
2. Those who embrace change.

Those in the first group, Apple introduced the iPhone 8. It's for those who like the familiarity and comfort of the same hardware design since 2014. It's for those who want the same iPhone, but better.

The iPhone X is for iPhone customers in the second group. Those who are happy in the Apple ecosystem but are eager for something new.

After using the iPhone X for two weeks, I'd like to share some of my experiences for those who are considering it and highlight some details you probably missed.

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The iPad Pro (with the Smart Keyboard) cannibalizes my MacBook Pro the same way the iPhone 7 Plus cannibalized my old iPad mini.

I'm blown away by how many non-work related tasks I can accomplish on the iPad Pro. And for some tasks, I can even do it faster on the iPad Pro.

My biggest discovery is split-screen mode works brilliantly because many apps are designed to work on iPhone-sized screen. Browsing and clicking on a link in a left-side app can open in Safari on the right. Apps on the desktop were not designed to work on iPhone-sized spaces.

Some of my favorite use-cases for split-screen mode are:

• catching up on RSS feeds with Reeder + Safari
• researching reviews with YouTube + Safari
• catching up on email newsletters with Newton + Safari
• catching up on computer tasks with Things + Safari

There's also something special about having a general-purpose computer that can turn on & off instantly compared to a laptop, yet having all the benefits of keyboard shortcuts.

This seriously makes me wish Apple would resurrect the iBook brand in the form of an iOS-driven laptop with built-in LTE.

When downloading new apps from the App Store, all purchases are authorized with Apple Pay instead of having to type your iTunes password.

One-handed zoom, one of my favorite little features on Google Maps, has finally been added to Apple Maps. While viewing a map, double-tap and hold, then you can slide your finger up or down to zoom.

Comes in super handy when navigating while driving.

My iPhone has a ton of games that I don't have the heart to delete because I don't want to lose my progress. iOS 11's new Offload Apps feature lets me keep my game data while indefinitely removing the game so I can save space.

iOS 11's ugly Control Center totally grew on me. I love being able to customize the buttons and no longer having to swipe between Control Center and Now Playing.

Apple Maps on iOS 11 is pretty good now! Lane Guidance with voice prompts put it on par with Google Maps, feature-wise.

Not sure I fully trust it for random destinations just yet, but Apple Maps just got promoted to my home screen for commutes to work.

I recently got back from a mini-vacation in San Francisco and Houston for business and a wedding. In preparation for my first trip to Hawaii and my bucket list solo adventure to Japan, I've been looking for ways to capture video while still being able to live in the moment. Thankfully, a friend of mine was able to loan me his GoPro Hero 5 Black.

With five-day long weekend under my belt with a GoPro, here are my quick thoughts:

• it's kind of awkward to use a GoPro around friends when we're not doing anything particularly adventurous or exciting.
• in an effort to record quick video while still living in the moment, the seemingly 4-5 second boot time to start up and record was a big disappointment for me.
• when the GoPro was actually recording, it felt great because I didn't have to put any effort into framing the shot; the wide angle is a game-changer for capturing moments.
• The short battery life was a big disappointment for me. I just hated how conscious and conservative I had to be of the battery when i was out for a whole day.

Overall, unless I was repeatedly doing adventurous activities or doing solo trips, my lifestyle probably won't justify the $299 price tag.