WWDC 2024 has lastly been introduced and we now know Apple will introduce visionOS 2 at its yearly developer convention in June this yr. Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional has been in our lives for some time now and, whereas it looks like a revolutionary little bit of equipment, it nonetheless has tons of rising pains. visionOS 2 is predicted to repair a few of these pains with all method of bug fixes, in addition to updates to current software program, and new enhancements to the person expertise.
Main Apple software program updates pave the best way for brand new apps, inventive methods to make use of tech, and a lot extra. The place iOS 18 is predicted to be “the most important replace to iOS because the authentic iPhone”, watchOS 11 is rumored to be a lot smaller. Nonetheless, we don’t know a lot in regards to the specifics of visionOS 2 simply but, although we do know we are going to see extra about it at WWDC. We all know the place a number of the fundamental criticisms lie with visionOS 1 however we don’t have a lot data on what is predicted to vary simply but.
Listed below are six issues we wish to see in visionOS 2, and once we count on it to lastly launch.
1. A greater visitor mode
As of proper now, if you wish to let a visitor person check out your Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, you must restrict them from utilizing all apps that aren’t open or allow them to use no matter apps they like. This looks like a poor technique to lend somebody the system and even have an additional person attempt it for an hour right here or there.
The power to manually whitelist some apps or permit a brand new person display very like that in macOS Sonoma can be an ideal workaround.
2. Bluetooth mice compatibility
You possibly can technically get round this by connecting your Mac to your Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and utilizing your Mac’s mouse however, for instances whenever you simply wish to use Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, you might be compelled to depend on hand or eye monitoring. With Bluetooth help for mice, similar to Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional presently has for Bluetooth keyboards, customers might extra simply flick through the headset with out feeling tethered to a selected desk workspace.
It means you possibly can probably carry a small mouse round with you and apply it to any floor you see — actually driving house how versatile spatial headsets will be.
3. Journal help
First launched in iOS 17.2, Apple’s Journal app is a good way to jot down concepts and it’s one of many greatest journaling apps for iPhone proper now. It comes with the flexibility to immediate you based mostly in your calendar and pictures and makes writing down ideas tremendous straightforward. If this might get native help on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, you possibly can lie down at evening with the headset on and write down every part you consider simply earlier than mattress. There are alternate options to Journal however direct help for Journal might imply taking items you’ve already written and dealing on them contained in the headset.
Future entries of your Journal might even embrace pictures shot within the headset or hooked up spatial movies for extra immersive studying, if it manages to obtain help.
4. Spatial Personas
Initially introduced at WWDC final yr, Spatial Personas, a extra lifelike type of Persona with a clear background, is coming to FaceTime in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. This is able to permit for extra intuitive reactions and the flexibility to gesture in actual house. For one thing like FaceTime, it might imply help for displays or extra spatial communication.
It’s not sure but when these are because of arrive or if Spatial Personas will obtain help on different Apple apps however we all know they’re presently being labored on.
5. Extra lifelike Personas
Although spectacular, Personas nonetheless has some technique to go to recover from that uncanny valley impact that’s occurring with them proper now. Not solely do they seem fairly blurry however they battle to seize some pores and skin textures, and extra. Given Personas are supposed to appear to be you, any small errors turn into very noticeable.
We’ve already obtained some small upgrades to Persona help in latest visionOS updates however visionOS 2 might give room for larger and higher Personas.
6. Higher hand and eye monitoring
Since its launch, some Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional customers have reported issues with eye and hand monitoring, be it poor calibration or latency points. Different customers declare this may be fastened by recalibrating monitoring or setting the spatial headset again to manufacturing unit settings however this can be a fairly massive annoyance for a lot of, because it requires backing up knowledge, and shedding entry to the headset whilst you wipe every part and set it up once more. There are many good suggestions and tips for when Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional monitoring isn’t working, however it might be nice to not have to make use of these.
Higher hand and eye monitoring help, and some fail safes for when it fails, can be enormously appreciated in visionOS 2.
visionOS 2 rumors up to now
In response to MacRumors, Apple is presently testing help for a brand new Apple Pencil, that’s suitable with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. visionOS 2 is rumored to launch this Apple Pencil help later this yr.
A idea for visionOS 2 was created by one person that reveals off some great-looking options like customizable Dwelling screens, break reminders, Motion button customizability, and much more augmented actuality experiences. All of those can be glorious additions to visionOS 2.
What has modified since visionOS 1?
visionOS 1.1.1 launched simply over a month after the spatial headset did and got here with it a complete host of bug fixes and modifications. Mac Digital Show turned extra constant and a bug with inconsistent Common Management help was fastened. In addition to this, EyeSight was made clearer with higher hair and make-up appearances, while additionally including larger “neck and mouth illustration”.
visionOS 1.1.1 primarily centered on fixing the person expertise and cleansing any bugs. All these updates cleared the path for grander modifications with the .0 releases.
Why isn’t there higher visionOS app help?
Again in January, Netflix’s co-CEO defined that Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional is “not likely significantly related” to prospects. It has a decrease set up base because it’s nonetheless a distinct segment product and it has a really new app retailer. YouTube and Spotify have each opted to not develop Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional apps and received’t even permit iPad apps for use on the platform. Because of this the shortage of help is an intentional selection being made.
At this level, it’s on devs to start out releasing apps, and never a lot on Apple itself. Nonetheless, Apple might actually make the headset extra engaging with higher gross sales and extra developer help.
When is the visionOS 2 launch date?
As initially confirmed by Apple reporter and insider Mark Gurman, visionOS 2 is ready to launch this yr. Given all main Apple software program updates are inclined to get introduced at WWDC, we are going to see extra from visionOS 2 at WWDC 2024 on June 10. If it’s not launched round then, visionOS 2 will probably come out in September, matching the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Professional, and Apple Watch X anticipated launch date. Both method, we’ll know extra when WWDC comes about in June this yr.