The Vision (Japan)

I frequently travel between Southeast Asia and Japan, using my iPad Pro for work and leisure. I travel light, with a small cabin backpack for the iPad and some clothes. After receiving my Vision Pro in July, I flew between Singapore, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Osaka, and rode the Shinkansen in Japan. I used the Vision Pro on these flights and trains.

Initially, I used a cheap third-party carrying case, but it felt too large and it broke at some point. I switched to the more compact Waterfield Design bag, which fits inside my small backpack. It carries the Vision Pro, solo loop, Vision battery, and an extra 20,000 mAh battery. Some low cost airlines in this region are strict with one cabin bag rule but I had no issues with the additional smaller Vision case.

For shorter flights within Southeast Asia, the battery was ok. For longer flights to and from Japan, I used the external battery. The longest that I have used Vision Pro on a flight was about 4 hours with a couple of quick breaks for drinks and toilet. The solo loop was comfortable without fatigue. I guess I am lucky with the fit.

Before the Vision Pro, I used the iPad resting on the tray table, which caused neck discomfort from tilting my head down. With the Vision Pro, I can keep my head straight or lean on the headrest. I also worried about the iPad screen being crushed by a reclining seat. The Vision Pro offers better privacy - previously on the iPad, I had to quickly skip scenes whenever something naughty showed up.

I mostly work out of cafes. I enjoy using the Vision Pro in Saigon and Phnom Penh, where the cafes offer Wi-Fi and power sockets. I can scatter reference windows around while keeping the typing window (Apple Notes) in front of me. This feels more comfortable compared to  alt-tabbing on the iPad. The longest stretch of work (writing) was about 90 minutes at a cafe in Saigon, using a paired Bluetooth keyboard. I also liked using the Vision Pro in small Japanese hotel rooms.

Comparing my earlier travels with the iPad only, I miss the iPad’s immediate usability. My iPad’s multi-region eSIM allows me to be productive even during short waits. Using the Vision Pro involves a bit of a ritual, so I only use it when I have more than 20-30 minutes wait. I also miss the YouTube app. I have a YouTube premium account. This allows me to save news/science/politics videos on the YouTube app on the iPad and catch up on flights and trains. With the Vision, I mostly consume entertainment via Apple TV.

Update:

I keep going back to Apple Vision, not for the promise of AR/VR but for a funny reason: to talk to people from China. There is a social app called inSpaze. Upon signing up, you get a room to personalize with photos, music, and decor. You can invite people to chats or “parties” to discuss topics like books, travel, cooking, and technology. inSpaze features real-time translation with a text ticker in front of the speaker, so language is not a barrier.

There are two main groups of users: younger people from China, and older users from (mostly) the US, Canada, and Europe. Many of the Western users are tech industry veterans with fascinating stories from their projects over the decades. The Chinese users are diverse, including  traders, factory owners, musicians, and tech professionals. As someone who used to travel in China (back in the days of liberal multiple entry visas) just to talk to random people, I try to learn as much as possible about the current happenings from this group.

The community is friendly and helpful, with civil discussions. It reminds me of the early days of the Internet when everyone was so nice. Maybe the cost of entry filters user behavior, but I also think that early social platforms often foster cordial interactions. I hope this atmosphere lasts a bit longer.

My only complaint is that I want a cat in my room - not the default dog.