Since early February, the internet has been awash with footage of early adopters of Apple Vision Pro with rave reviews for the platform that has the potential to transform entertainment, education and almost every walk of life. But what does the rise of this innovative new technology mean for firmware engineering recruitment and is demand for specialists likely to rise as tech firms look to compete with Apple?

Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro marks a paradigm shift for augmented and virtual reality. The platform blends the digital and physical worlds and offers users a highly interactive and immersive experience. With applications ranging from gaming and entertainment to healthcare and education, it has the potential to revolutionise the way we interact with the world around us.

Early focus on the technology has shown it being applied to a variety of settings with one viral clip showing a user working on the headset while utilising their Tesla ‘CyberTruck’s self-driving capabilities, which provided an eerie look into the future. Other common uses allow wearers to access multiple entertainment platforms in virtual reality and, for day-to-day tasks, like helping in the kitchen. While Apple Vision Pro is very much in its infancy and has only been on public sale for a matter of weeks, it’s clear from the early demand being shown that it will be widely adopted and that its uses are potentially wide-ranging. Some commentators have already suggested the platform will ‘redefine how we connect, create and explore’. With significant consumer interest already being clearly shown, it’s clear that this technology offers far more than others in the past, like Google Glass, that have promised much and delivered little.

Firmware engineering recruitment

Firmware engineers have already become increasingly sought after in the past few years as the use of high-level technology is integrated ever further into the modern world. And, as this particular platform gains traction and rival technology firms look to launch comparable products, demand for skills is only going to become stronger. The need for expertise is likely to be most acutely felt in the UK and USA, where technology adoption and usage is high and in other major markets like Japan and South Korea.

With Apple Vision Pro potentially marking the dawn of a new period of technological transformation, employers must prepare themselves for an increasingly competitive landscape. It's not just the development of the technology – and rival products – that is likely to drive demand for skills in the coming years, it’s the versatility and range of uses. Businesses across multiple fields are likely to try to integrate their existing products, and develop new ones, to align with Apple Vision Pro applications, which will likely kickstart a recruitment drive.

Employers will increasingly be competing with each other for engineers with expertise in AR and VR development, computer vision and low-level programming skills in languages like C, which will help provide specialists to support resource-intensive applications like those run on Apple Vision Pro. And it’s not just technological prowess that will be fought for. The best engineers combine technical know-how with softer skills like adaptability, the drive to continuously learn, and the ability to collaborate with other areas of the business.

How can businesses get ahead?

The nature of the future market means that employers should be focused on building robust talent pipelines and offering working environments that can encourage the best in the market to choose them over their rivals. In practice, this means developing employer value propositions that set businesses apart and provide flexibility, like the opportunity for engineers to work remotely or on a hybrid basis. The latest generation of firmware professionals also want to work for employers that align with their priorities around ESG and support the push for Net Zero as well as firms that offer the opportunity to expand their skills and learn from their colleagues. Building pipelines takes time, and if businesses are anticipating a surge in hiring in the coming years, then they should start preparing now, before it’s too late.

With the emergence of Apple Vision Pro potentially marking a watershed moment in the technological landscape, firmware engineers are firmly at the forefront of a major transformation. The demand for their skills is set to soar, and as several industries embrace the next step of virtual and augmented reality technology, all major tech employers will be looking for skilled professionals capable of developing robust, efficient, and scalable firmware solutions. If your business is seeking skills or needs guidance in building its firmware engineering recruitment strategy, then speak to our expert team.

Take a look at some of our other blogs

Find out more about why we’re the experts in firmware engineering recruitment

Follow us on LinkedIn