Privacy concerns hamstring Apple Vision Pro app development, report warns

The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale for a couple of months now and the visionOS App Store has plenty for you to download and try. But there could always be more apps, and a new report suggests that Apple's own policies are getting in the way.

The concept of the App Store rules getting in the way of app developers building the products that they want isn't something that's new to Apple, but this latest report suggests that it's the company's focus on privacy that is getting in the way here. The report claims that developers are not able to build all the apps they want to because Apple won't offer access to the cameras that are on the outside of the Apple Vision Pro.

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According to the report Apple is concerned about falling into the trap that befell the Google Glass smartglasses. While undoubtedly ahead of their time, the glasses proved to be an issue because people didn't like that they could be recording at all times. That is thought to be partly behind Apple's refusal to give developers access to raw camera data.

The report, citing former employees, claims that Apple wants to avoid finding itself in a situation similar to Google where people didn't want to be around others who were wearing Google Glass thanks to that camera,

However, this means that some developers can't produce apps that would normally require such access. One developer who builds apps for older adults and those with disabilities says that it is impossible to make an Apple Vision Pro app that would act as a virtual cane for those who are approaching obstacles.

Another developer, behind the HitMotion: Reloaded fitness game on Meta's Quest platform, says that he would like to make an Appke Vision Pro version that would allow people to interact with real-world items, like a punching bag. However, that simply isn't possible right now due to Apple's limitations.

Things could well change in the future of course, and it's still very much early days for the Apple Vision Pro. The headset went on sale in the United States in February and remains exclusive to that country currently. We expect it to launch in more countries before the end of the year, but information is hard to come by in terms of when that will happen specifically and which countries will be the first to see the headset arrive outside the United States. Pricing is also a concern, with the headset currently starting at $3,499 for the entry-level 256GB model.