Apple Vision Pro for Fitness

This article is very much a carry over to this one that was a wider discussion point on using Apple Vision Pro (AVP) for fitness.

Joined at the hip?

As someone who has shot over 3,000 fitness videos with live talent, I've experienced firsthand the challenges that come with capturing high-quality audio in a dynamic environment.

My studio below with the super talented Nicola Goss.

For years, we were faced with a tough choice: wireless lavalier mics with heavy battery packs and transceivers worn at the hip, or directional shotgun mics that often resulted in a mess of echoes on our white cyclorama sound stage.

The lavalier option was far from ideal. The bulky battery packs and transmitters strapped to the talent's waists (as you can see below) created an unsightly and cumbersome setup, often weighing them down during intense workout routines.

Not to mention the constant need to swap out batteries mid-shoot, disrupting the flow and costing valuable time. Regardless, we found a way of working, that, well, worked!

On the other hand, the shotgun mic approach, while freeing the talent from wires and packs, introduced its own set of problems. The omnidirectional nature of these mics meant they picked up every echo and ambient sound in the studio, resulting in audio that was often muddy and unusable.

What's my point?

AVP's battery puck is much like using these heavy old lavalier packs, in fact Apples puck is much sleeker, which leads me to believe that AVP will be perfectly usable for fitness.

I would however say that it's not ideal, and certainly not what this version of Apples headset was meant for, certainly Quest 2 and Quest 3 is perhaps the better option.

But, it's viable and workable, just not perfect. It just depends on your will to try it.

The future?

While the external battery puck design of the Vision Pro may seem awkward at first for fitness use cases, it's likely not as big of a limitation as some may think. If the next generation of Vision Pro comes with hot-swappable batteries then that will provide ample untethered runtime.

My guess is the battery on AVP 2 may even be integrated, we'll see soon enough, as rumours of this cheaper, more consumer focused headset looks to go into production later in 2025.

Looking ahead, it's easy to envision a dedicated Fitness+ mode optimised for the headset. And lean on Apple's industry-leading silicon to drive lifelike digital coaching experiences with spatial audio feedback.

I'm working up a sweat just thinking about it!