Apple has been holding secret demos for new Apple Vision Pro features, that are currently not in the Developer Betas for the next version of visionOS. These additions would be part of visionOS 2.0, which is releasing in the fall.
Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote took place earlier this year, where the tech giant revealed all its latest software. Though it was a bit more of a footnote than a huge announcement, visionOS 2 will be launching later this year, and it comes with some cool new features. And it appears we'll be getting more than we bargained for, as Apple has some secret features up its sleeve.
According to analyst Avi Greengart on X, Apple has been holding secret demos of visionOS 2.0, including "some unannounced features not yet in the developer beta, and a couple of impressive enterprise AR demos." He doesn't go further to suggest what these features could be.
Met with @Apple yesterday in NYC to get demos of VisionOS 2.0 coming this fall to Apple Vision Pro, including some unannounced features not yet in the developer beta, and a couple of impressive enterprise #AR demos. Also my first opportunity to wear these cufflinks. pic.twitter.com/TBDNxjWMcOAugust 16, 2024
While we aren't sure what these secret visionOS 2.0 features could be, we can guess what might be coming to the Vision Pro headset in the fall. Here are 5 things we could see:
1. iPhone Unlock
At the moment, unlocking your iPhone while using the Vision Pro isn't the smoothest of tasks. Obviously, you can't use Face ID. So, you have to wait for the option to time out, and then punch in your passcode.
It would be much easier for your Vision Pro to automatically unlock your iPhone if you look at it while wearing the headset. The Apple Vision Pro is protected by Optic ID, so your iPhone would still be protected from anyone that isn't you.
2. Multiple Users
The social aspect of Vision Pro is one of its biggest criticisms. That is to say, there aren't really any. You can't even hand the headset over to someone to show them something, never mind having multiple users on the same headset. Instead, you can only set up one user. Everyone else has to use the guest mode.
Adding multiple user profiles would make the Vision Pro easier to use in homes or workplaces. It would even make sharing content easier, as you could send your friends Vision Pro content that they could view from their own user profile. I imagine this would work similarly to switching users on the best Macs.
3. Even Better Personas
While the once troubled Persona feature was upgraded in the visionOS 1.1 update, there's still room for improvement. In this revamped visionOS 2 update, we might see Apple add even better facial scanning to create a more realistic digital avatar. Future Personas could even show more movement, or you might see the option to have different appearances for different uses.
4. Spatialize Any Photo
Apple did mention a new feature that would let you turn any photo into a Spatial Photo at WWDC. But so far, it seems to not be included in the Developer Beta. So I expect this feature will make its debut later this fall.
5. New Environments
Since launch, visionOS has had more or less the same set of environments, and some have been marked as "Coming Soon" for a while. In visionOS 2.0, I'd expect to see some of these become available, or even some new environments get introduced. Tahiti could be a possible option.
