Since the launch of the Vision Pro device, there has been no shortage of tricks such as fake traffic stops. Celebrities have also been having fun with the facial space computer, including T-Pain, Diplo and Casey Neistat.
But while all of this may seem like just random silliness, one analyst suggests that this type of lighting is helping to normalize the device – which never happened with Google Glass…
The glassholes phenomenon holes
One of the reasons for the failure of Google devices was the negative reaction to wearing them in public places.
The biggest hurdle Google must overcome is the backlash from the press and general public. There are bars/restaurants that prohibit Glass or the very concept of it in advance. There's the typical anti-Google press contingent that always seems to have some bad/scary thing to insert into any Glass news story. And there are people who don't trust Google and their privacy practices.
Part of this could be due to the invitation-only launch strategy, as Wired suggested, but whatever the reasons, it's was certainly a major barrier to purchasing them.
Glass is socially awkward. Time and time again I made people feel uncomfortable. This did not suit me very much.
People are angry at Glass. They're mad at you for wearing Glass. They talk about you openly. This inspires the most aggressive passive aggression. Bill Wasik apologetically refers to the Bludush principle. But in real life, no one apologizes. They just call you an asshole.
Wearing glasses sets you apart. This sets you apart from everyone else. It says that not only did you have $1,500 to spend to become part of the Explorer program, but that Google deemed you special enough to warrant inclusion (not everyone who wanted Glass got it; you had to choose). Glass is a class divide on your face.
The Vision Pro, on the other hand, makes people smile
There's no doubt that wearing the Vision Pro on the street makes you look pretty stupid, and maybe some people laugh rather than smile at those who do it. But analyst Neil Cybart suggests that all this silliness helps overcome any Glass-like hostility that might otherwise arise.
Apple Vision Pro has been out for nine days and we're already seeing the social stigma around computing begin to fall apart.
Let's take a quick look at a few examples. pic.twitter.com/gYlsFsRBTG
— Neil Cybart (@neilcybart) February 11, 2024
Best comment from KJ705
I think part of the difference – a BIG part – is that there is nothing hidden in Vision Pro. If you wear it, no one is under secret surveillance. And since Apple, many people probably expect that they won't be tracked at all. In practice, I'm not sure Apple will be able to protect the camera image from being transmitted from the device to real-time facial recognition software. The indicators that the camera records, if they are behind the first protective panel, can probably be discreetly blocked so that the device thinks it is working normally.
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He continues:
Content creators, sensing opportunity with Vision Pro, then hit the streets. Although the videos were staged as seen with fake hand gestures, they were real in the sense that one could rely on the Vision Pro's pass-through to walk around and be seen. These examples really play a role in shaping the public acceptance of Vision Pro.
9to5Mac's Opinion
As venture capitalist John Frankel commented, it's too early to draw too many conclusions, since the backlash to Glass came a little later in the product cycle.
But it's interesting that even among those who think it's stupid to spend such money, and even stupider to use the device in public, the mood prevails, not hostility.
Image: Diplo
