Apple’s Quest to Immortalize Memories
The virtual worlds of tomorrow and the promise of reliving yesterday
When the Apple Vision Pro was announced earlier this year, it made waves for multiple reasons. One was the price tag. With a starting cost of $3,500 for its slated launch window early next year, many were quick to shock and outrage. Regardless of what exactly the device was offering, few seemed willing to spend that kind of sum on Apple’s latest gadget.
But one part of the presentation stood out to me far more than the price tag — one feature that grabbed my attention above all else: the ability to record conscious experiences. With what Apple has dubbed “Spatial Recording,” we can return to places we’ve been with a full field of view. We’ll be able to see things as they were and hear them as they were.
Though there were many staggering new features unveiled that day, from advanced augmented reality functions to its “Spatial Computing” abilities, I’m not sure there was a moment more surreal than the announcement that these products will allow us to relive memories.
In nearly all aspects, it’s clear that the technology marks a staggering bound in the evolution of our digital lives. The device’s release will bring no shortage of new foreign abilities into the world at large. The few who’ve managed to test it already have almost unilaterally lauded the user experience as something magical in nature. But for me, nowhere does the gravity of this astonishing leap forward feel more evident than in the ability to record our memories and play them back as easily as Black Mirror episodes.
Of course, when the Apple Vision Pro was announced, people were quick to find fault in the feature. Across social media, there was a pervasive feeling that the detachment this function would introduce would negate the benefits it would offer. “Sure, we can relive memories, but won’t we have to wear bulky VR helmets while we’re living them?” many pointed out. “That sounds cool, but do I want to wear a VR helmet while I’m on vacation in Hawaii?” others reasoned.
They were admittedly valid objections. It seemed like a rare moment of short-sightedness from the largest, most meticulous company the world has ever known.
But when I look back at it now, I think Apple may have attempted to shine a spotlight on that critical error of strategy. With the latest batch of Pro smartphones, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have gained an ability that I’m surprised hasn’t made more headlines than their piddly new USB-C ports.
Now, people will have a reason to buy the Apple Vision Pro on launch day because on September 22nd, consumers will be able to record their conscious experiences with the phones in their pockets… but can only play them back on the Vision Pro.
More than offering high-definition video, the phones will take advantage of multiple lenses to craft an illusion of a fully lived-in environment that can be returned to on command. I think the initial price tag skepticism may dwindle as we start yearning to revisit our memories.
Initially, I fell into the camp of people who decided, “The Apple Vision Pro looks amazing, but I’d want to see it go through a few iterations and price drops before investing that kind of cash.” But now, I feel compelled to buy the latest iPhone and begin recording Spatial Videos.
I want to revisit my memories, and that’s hard to put a price tag on.
If this feature pans out as early product reviewers expect it to, then the $3,500 Apple is asking for the Vision Pro headset might not seem so exorbitant. With this latest leap forward, Apple will traffic in experiences rather than products. It’s a strange bridge to cross, colored end to end in weighty, philosophical implications. I’d like to see where it leads.
This Pandora’s box will open next year whether the world is prepared for it or not, and I want to be among the first to see what’s inside. I know there are memories I’ll make that I’ll want to relive. I know there are places I’ll go that I’ll want to return to again. I know I’ll lose friends and family members that I’ll want to revisit.
For a cost lower than most used cars, the ability to reinhabit our past will arrive on store shelves. Memory will be democratized. We’ll line up outside malls on Black Fridays to spend time with our lost loved ones again. We’ll find an enthralling new escape in the vast reservoir of yesterday.