Fastest way to input text on Vision Pro

We scientifically prove it!

Author

Leander Kahney
February 15, 2024

Apart from the weight, the discomfort, the isolation and the expense, the one thing everyone hates about Vision Pro is the typing experience.

Hunting and pecking with two fingers on a virtual floating keyboard is painful, and painfully slow.

Of course, Vision Pro supports Bluetooth keyboards, so if you’re a touch typist, connecting your Mac keyboard should help a lot.

However, our writer D. Griffin Jones scientifically tested all the different text input methods, and came to some surprising conclusions. Bluetooth keyboards aren’t actually much better, but he did find a great way to input text that he wasn’t expecting.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • A lot of Vision Pro early adopters are returning their headsets, including a majority of readers of this newsletter; see yesterday’s poll results below. Of course, polls like this aren’t scientific, but it’s still surprising that 76% of yesterday’s poll respondents are returning their Vision Pro. 76%!!!! A whopping 45% of those said it’s because the headset is too isolating. Only 26% said they were keeping it, and 12% remain undecided. And this is among readers of a newsletter called Cult of Mac Today!!!!

  • If you are keeping your Vision Pro, good news: TikTok just launched its Vision Pro app. And these new games for Vision Pro look like a lot of fun. Wave goodbye to what little productivity you ever had.

  • Apple’s beefing up its iPhone chips for next-gen generative AI features in the upcoming iOS 18.

  • I’m a huge fan of portable CarPlay screens, which make it cheap and easy to add Apple’s infotainment system to old jalopies. This 9-inch CarPlay screen is easy to mount and is currently on sale. So are AirPods Pro 2, which are within $1 of their lowest price.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Typing on Vision Pro: A scientific test with surprising results

A universal line of criticism against the Vision Pro is typing using the virtual floating-in-the-air keyboard. To quantify exactly how bad the Vision Pro keyboard is, I took a bunch of different typing tests across a bunch of different keyboards. And the results I found were incredibly surprising.

Upgraded iPhone 16 Neural Engine could power iOS 18 generative AI features

Apple could significantly boost the A18 chip to handle the iPhone’s next-gen AI features.

3 wild new spatial games coming soon to Vision Pro

New Vision Pro games include versions of "Spire Blast" and other titles enabling spatial fun on Apple Arcade.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Enjoy wireless CarPlay with this 9-inch touchscreen display

Here's an easy way to enjoy CarPlay or Android Auto even if your car is a little dated. Add an affordable aftermarket CarPlay display!

Kiss productivity goodbye: TikTok just launched a Vision Pro app

The short video service that's become a global phenomenon can now be enjoyed on Apple's AR headset.

AirPods Pro 2 price drops within $1 of Black Friday low [Still live!]

Apple's flagship earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case, drop to a near-record low in this fantastic deal.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

This ChatGPT training bundle reveals how to use AI the right way

Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT for Business Mastery Bundle. It offers seven ChatGPT courses to help you tap the potential of AI.

Take AirTag for a ride and track your bike with these Laut mounts

These brilliant AirTag bike mounts from Laut are well-designed and wonderfully affordable. Never lose your bike again.

How to charge the battery on your Vision Pro

If you get a Vision Pro, you’ll soon need to learn how to charge up that battery. If you want your spatial computing to be untethered, you’ll need to charge it up often.

Today in Apple history: A young Steve Jobs appears on Time cover

On February 15, 1982, the Apple co-founder appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine for the first time, becoming the public face of successful tech entrepreneurship.

Tweetz o’ the day

One more thing ...

❝

You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You can’t start with the technology and try to figure out where you’re going to try to sell it. And I’ve made this mistake probably more than anybody else in this room. And I’ve got the scar tissue to prove it. And I know that it’s the case.

— Steve Jobs, 1997.

Today’s poll

How sick are you of Vision Pro, Vision Pro, Vision Pro?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from yesterday’s poll: Are you returning your Apple Vision Pro?

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.

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