Apple has announced that its new Vision Pro headset will be released on February 2nd in the US. People in the US can pre-order it in mid-January, but there’s no date yet for the UK release. This is Apple’s first big new product since the Apple Watch in 2015. But there have been some problems with making enough headsets, so Apple has lowered its production forecast from one million to 400,000 for 2024.

The Vision Pro headset will have 256GB of storage. Apple says it can track your eyes using just one eye, so it can be used by people who can’t see with both eyes. Apple wants its headset to be different from other ones on the market, so it’s asking app developers to call their apps “spatial computing” instead of using words like augmented reality or virtual reality.

Apple has made a trailer to get people excited about the Vision Pro headset. If it does well, it could make a lot of money for Apple. But it’s expensive, costing $3,499, so it might only be affordable for rich people.

The BBC got to try out the Vision Pro headset last year and thought it was okay. The battery is separate from the headset to make it lighter, but that means it has to be connected with a cable. The headset looks like other Apple products, with familiar app icons and gestures to control it. It can track where you’re looking and you can use your fingers to do things in apps. You can adjust how much you feel like you’re in the virtual world using a dial.

But it’s important to remember that the version the BBC tried wasn’t the final one, and Apple didn’t let them film it, so any problems they found couldn’t be shared online.

Original news source: Apple Vision Pro: $3,499 headset finally gets release date (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and then take turns summarizing the main points to their partner. They should try to include key details such as the release date, production forecast, features of the Vision Pro headset, and the BBC’s review.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: In groups, students will discuss and share their opinions on the Vision Pro headset. They can talk about whether they think it will be successful, if they would buy it, and if they think the price is reasonable. Each group should appoint a spokesperson to share their group’s opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns choosing a word or phrase from the article and drawing it on the board. Their partner must guess the word or phrase based on the drawing. They can only use gestures and drawings, no spoken words.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In pairs, students will discuss the pros and cons of the Vision Pro headset. They should list at least three advantages and three disadvantages. After discussing, they should share their lists with another pair and compare their opinions.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In small groups, students will brainstorm and discuss their predictions for the future of virtual reality and augmented reality technology. They should consider how it might impact various industries, entertainment, and everyday life. Each group should share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. When will the Vision Pro headset be released in the US?
2. Can people in the US pre-order the Vision Pro headset?
3. What is the storage capacity of the Vision Pro headset?
4. Why is Apple asking app developers to use the term “spatial computing”?
5. How much does the Vision Pro headset cost?
6. What did the BBC think of the Vision Pro headset?
7. How can you control the Vision Pro headset?
8. Why couldn’t the BBC share any problems they found with the Vision Pro headset online?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ has announced that its new Vision Pro headset will be (2)______d on February 2nd in the US. People in the US can pre-order it in mid-January, but there’s no date yet for the UK release. This is Apple’s (3)______ big new product since the Apple Watch in 2015. But there have been some (4)______ with making enough headsets, so Apple has lowered its production forecast from one million to 400,000 for 2024.

The Vision Pro headset will have 256GB of storage. Apple says it can track your eyes (5)______ just one eye, so it can be used by people who can’t see with both eyes. Apple wants its headset to be (6)______ from (7)______ ones on the market, so it’s asking app developers to call their apps “spatial computing” instead of using words like augmented (8)______ or virtual reality.

Apple has made a trailer to get people excited about the Vision Pro headset. If it does well, it could make a lot of money for Apple. But it’s expensive, (9)______ $3,499, so it might only be affordable for rich (10)______.

The BBC got to try out the Vision Pro headset last year and thought it was okay. The battery is (11)______ from the headset to make it lighter, but that means it has to be (12)______ with a cable. The headset looks like other Apple (13)______, with familiar app icons and gestures to control it. It can track where you’re (14)______ and you can use your (15)______ to do things in apps. You can adjust how much you feel like you’re in the virtual world using a dial.

But it’s important to remember that the (16)______ the BBC tried wasn’t the final one, and Apple didn’t let them film it, so any problems they found couldn’t be shared online.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a Vision Pro headset and what can it do?
2. How would you feel if you couldn’t see with both eyes and there was a headset that could track your eyes using just one eye?
3. Do you think it’s important for companies to come up with new and innovative products? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Apple asking app developers to call their apps “spatial computing” instead of using words like augmented reality or virtual reality?
5. Do you like trying out new technology? Why or why not?
6. How would you feel if you had the opportunity to try out the Vision Pro headset before it was released?
7. Do you think the Vision Pro headset is worth the high price of $3,499? Why or why not?
8. What do you think about the BBC not being able to film the Vision Pro headset when they tried it out?
9. How do you think the Vision Pro headset could be improved?
10. What are some advantages and disadvantages of having the battery separate from the headset?
11. Do you think it’s important for technology to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the Vision Pro headset could be useful in different industries or fields?
13. What other features would you like to see in a virtual reality headset?
14. How do you think the Vision Pro headset compares to other virtual reality headsets on the market?
15. Do you think virtual reality technology will become more popular in the future? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. announced
2. pre-order
3. forecast
4. storage
5. track
6. spatial
7. computing
8. trailer
9. affordable
10. gestures
11. separate
12. familiar
13. adjust
14. virtual
15. version

Meanings:
(A) Existing, seen, or happening in a computer-generated environment rather than the real world
(B) A particular form or type of something that’s slightly different from others of the same kind
(C) Change something slightly to make it better or more suitable
(D) Something that’s within the range of what you can pay for
(E) Follow or monitor the movements or progress of something
(F) Order something before it’s available to buy
(G) Not joined together; set apart from the main object
(H) Movements of the body to communicate or interact with something
(I) A short video that gives you a sneak peek of a product or movie
(J) The process of using computers to perform tasks
(K) The space available to keep things like files and videos on a device
(L) Related to the physical space around us
(M) Told everyone about something that’s going to happen
(N) A prediction or estimate of future events or numbers
(O) Well known from past experience
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. When will the Vision Pro headset be released in the US?
(a) January 15th
(b) March 10th
(c) April 1st
(d) February 2nd

2. How many headsets does Apple plan to produce in 2024?
(a) 400,000
(b) 1 million
(c) 500,000
(d) 750,000

3. How much storage will the Vision Pro headset have?
(a) 128GB
(b) 256GB
(c) 512GB
(d) 64GB

4. What does Apple want app developers to call their apps?
(a) Augmented reality
(b) Virtual reality
(c) Spatial computing
(d) App development

5. How much will the Vision Pro headset cost?
(a) $1,999
(b) $3,499
(c) $2,999
(d) $4,999

6. What did the BBC think of the Vision Pro headset?
(a) Amazing
(b) Terrible
(c) Excellent
(d) Okay

7. How is the battery of the Vision Pro headset connected?
(a) With a cable
(b) Wirelessly
(c) Through Bluetooth
(d) It’s built-in

8. What can you use to control the Vision Pro headset?
(a) Voice commands
(b) A remote control
(c) Your fingers
(d) Eye movements

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Apple has not faced production issues and has increased its production forecast for the Vision Pro headset from one million to 400,000 for 2024.
2. Apple will not release its new Vision Pro headset on February 2nd in the US.
3. People in the US cannot pre-order the Vision Pro headset in mid-January.
4. The Vision Pro headset is Apple’s first major product since the Apple Watch in 2015.
5. Apple wants its headset to stand out from others on the market and is encouraging app developers to use the term “spatial computing” instead of augmented reality or virtual reality.
6. The Vision Pro headset is expensive, priced at $3,499, making it potentially affordable only for wealthy individuals.
7. The UK release date for the Vision Pro headset has already been announced.
8. The Vision Pro headset will have 256GB of storage.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. When will the Vision Pro headset be released in the US?
2. What is the production forecast for the Vision Pro headset in 2024?
3. How much storage will the Vision Pro headset have?
4. What does Apple want app developers to call their apps for the Vision Pro headset?
5. How much does the Vision Pro headset cost?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. When will the Vision Pro headset be released in the US?
The Vision Pro headset will be released on February 2nd in the US.

2. Can people in the US pre-order the Vision Pro headset?
Yes, people in the US can pre-order the Vision Pro headset in mid-January.

3. What is the storage capacity of the Vision Pro headset?
The Vision Pro headset will have 256GB of storage.

4. Why is Apple asking app developers to use the term “spatial computing”?
Apple wants its headset to be different from other ones on the market, so it’s asking app developers to call their apps “spatial computing” instead of using words like augmented reality or virtual reality.

5. How much does the Vision Pro headset cost?
The Vision Pro headset costs $3,499.

6. What did the BBC think of the Vision Pro headset?
The BBC thought the Vision Pro headset was okay, but they were not able to share any problems they found online because Apple did not let them film it.

7. How can you control the Vision Pro headset?
You can control the Vision Pro headset using familiar app icons and gestures, as well as using your fingers to interact with apps. It also has a dial to adjust the level of immersion in the virtual world.

8. Why couldn’t the BBC share any problems they found with the Vision Pro headset online?
The version of the Vision Pro headset that the BBC tried was not the final one, and Apple did not allow them to film it, so they were not able to share any problems they found online.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Apple
(2) release
(3) first
(4) problems
(5) using
(6) different
(7) other
(8) reality
(9) costing
(10) people
(11) separate
(12) connected
(13) products
(14) looking
(15) fingers
(16) version
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. announced
Answer: (M) Told everyone about something that’s going to happen

2. pre-order
Answer: (F) Order something before it’s available to buy

3. forecast
Answer: (N) A prediction or estimate of future events or numbers

4. storage
Answer: (K) The space available to keep things like files and videos on a device

5. track
Answer: (E) Follow or monitor the movements or progress of something

6. spatial
Answer: (L) Related to the physical space around us

7. computing
Answer: (J) The process of using computers to perform tasks

8. trailer
Answer: (I) A short video that gives you a sneak peek of a product or movie

9. affordable
Answer: (D) Something that’s within the range of what you can pay for

10. gestures
Answer: (H) Movements of the body to communicate or interact with something

11. separate
Answer: (G) Not joined together; set apart from the main object

12. familiar
Answer: (O) Well known from past experience

13. adjust
Answer: (C) Change something slightly to make it better or more suitable

14. virtual
Answer: (A) Existing, seen, or happening in a computer-generated environment rather than the real world

15. version
Answer: (B) A particular form or type of something that’s slightly different from others of the same kind
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. When will the Vision Pro headset be released in the US?
Answer: (d) February 2nd

2. How many headsets does Apple plan to produce in 2024?
Answer: (a) 400,000

3. How much storage will the Vision Pro headset have?
Answer: (b) 256GB

4. What does Apple want app developers to call their apps?
Answer: (c) Spatial computing

5. How much will the Vision Pro headset cost?
Answer: (b) $3,499

6. What did the BBC think of the Vision Pro headset?
Answer: (d) Okay

7. How is the battery of the Vision Pro headset connected?
Answer: (a) With a cable

8. What can you use to control the Vision Pro headset?
Answer: (c) Your fingers
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Apple has not faced production issues and has increased its production forecast for the Vision Pro headset from one million to 400,000 for 2024. (Answer: False)
2. Apple will not release its new Vision Pro headset on February 2nd in the US. (Answer: False)
3. People in the US cannot pre-order the Vision Pro headset in mid-January. (Answer: False)
4. The Vision Pro headset is Apple’s first major product since the Apple Watch in 2015. (Answer: True)
5. Apple wants its headset to stand out from others on the market and is encouraging app developers to use the term “spatial computing” instead of augmented reality or virtual reality. (Answer: True)
6. The Vision Pro headset is expensive, priced at $3,499, making it potentially affordable only for wealthy individuals. (Answer: True)
7. The UK release date for the Vision Pro headset has already been announced. (Answer: False)
8. The Vision Pro headset will have 256GB of storage. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧