How Apple Is Keeping Vision Pro Dev Kits Away From Unauthorized Hands

Photo 281391929 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com

Developers can now apply to obtain Apple’s Vision Pro headset way ahead of its launch in early 2024, so as to get familiar with the radical “spatial computing” equipment and build apps and widgets in time for its availability.

All told, the Cupertino tech giant is being extra cautious about who is handling the gear. Each Vision Pro developer kit will be adjusted for the applicant and the applicant alone, as evidenced by the form Apple is making developers fill out to provide their sizing data.

In screenshots shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple outlines that developers can use a ‘Measure and Fit’ app to measure their heads and nose bridges, among other features, to have their loaned Vision Pro tailored to them. Those who wear glasses or contact lenses may also wish to share their prescription data too.

Here’s the form a developer will need to fill out when they are approved for a Vision Pro development kit + the Measure and Fit app that uses the camera to determine head band and light seal size. Lenses will come from Zeiss directly. pic.twitter.com/TG7Zuzgcay

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) July 27, 2023

This means the gadget will be optimized for the use of only one person, even if they work in a team. It’s also one of the safeguards Apple is adopting to ensure the Vision Pro’s design and specifications aren’t leaked to the public—and, importantly, that the kit won’t be “left behind in a bar” for the taking of unwanted hands, as 9to5Mac puts it.

By signing up to use the mixed-reality headgear firsthand, developers agree to keep all information and their experience with the Vision Pro confidential.

“You agree that all access to, usage of, and storage use of the DK [developer kit] will be in a private, secure workspace accessible only by You and Your Authorized Developers… You must ensure that unauthorized persons (including any family, friends, roommates or household employees) do not access, view, handle, or use the DK,” reads the company’s terms.

“You must ensure the DK is passcode protected. Never leave the DK unattended. When not in use, turn off the DK and store it in its locked Pelican case in a locked space that only You have access to (eg. a locked room or closet, a safe or locked drawer).”

Apple is also tracking the test kits via AirTags lest they get lost or stolen, as deduced by MacRumors, which cites a statement on the developer website about there being instructions to unpair an AirTag before developers return the Vision Pros back to Apple.

That means, for the rest of us, we’ll get a clear look of the headset’s best features only when it launches next year.

[via 9to5Mac and MacRumors, cover photo 281391929 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com]