Apple's Latest Vision Pro Commercial Is One Big Easter Egg For Longtime iPhone Fans
A day after announcing the availability and pricing details of its first mixed reality headset — the Vision Pro — Apple has also released the first-ever video advertisement for the product. The quirky ad, titled "Get Ready," includes a montage of footage and characters from iconic movies like Iron Man, Up, Ant-Man, and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope wearing things like masks, goggles, and helmets over their faces. The ad culminates with a scene showcasing a person wearing the Apple Vision Pro headset.
While the ad will certainly turn heads, those aware of Apple's long history with consumer electronic products — particularly the iPhone — may observe that this ad and its theme have uncanny similarities with the first-ever ad for the first-generation iPhone.
Unveiled in 2007, the original iPhone's first advertisement shared a comparable thematic approach. In contrast to the Vision Pro ad, which portrays individuals wearing various eyewear and headgear, the iPhone ad showcased characters from renowned Hollywood movies uttering "Hello" while responding to traditional landline phones. The concluding moments of the iPhone ad featured an animated depiction of the first-gen iPhone, accompanied by the words "Hello" and "Coming in June."
Apple Vision Pro: As iconic as the iPhone?
The Vision Pro is arguably one of the most talked-about products from Apple's stables of late. It is also the first completely new product line from the company since the release of the first-generation Apple Watch in 2015. Naturally, expectations from the product are high. While Apple consumers expect a transformative, groundbreaking mixed reality experience using the headset, Apple hopes the product will become another runaway hit like the first-generation iPhone.
Like the first generation iPhone with a retail price of $499 ($762 today, far more than the feature phones common at the time), the Vision Pro is an expensive proposition with an asking price of $3,499. It remains to be seen if the interest in the Vision Pro remains high despite its price.
Those interested in experiencing the capabilities of the Apple Vision Pro will be able to do so before committing to a purchase by walking into any of the company's retail stores across the U.S. For this, however, you'd need to wait until the official launch of the product — slated for February 2, 2024. If you are convinced about Apple's ability to impress you with the Vision Pro and do not mind spending nearly $3,500 on an untested, brand-new product category, you can pre-order the Apple Vision Pro starting January 19.