APPLE created an eerily-realistic virtual clone of me using AI in a matter of seconds.
I took a trip to the Apple Park HQ in California where I was able to make a brand new “Persona” – a lifelike simulation of my head and hands that I can use online.
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It’s meant to be used for making FaceTime calls or hanging out online while donning the Apple Vision Pro headset.
After all, people I’m calling can’t see my actual face because it’s covered in a great big pair of goggles – so a Persona can mimic my movements instead.
Personas have been around since the headset launched back in February 2024, but Apple has just given them a major upgrade to add way more detail in the new visionOS 26 update.
And when I met with Apple to try it out, it captured every part of my noggin in excruciating detail. But one part is totally faked – can you tell from the clip above?
MAKING A PERSONA
Right now, the only way to create a Persona is with an Apple Vision Pro.
That’s an expensive “spatial computer” – effectively a mixed-reality headset for playing with apps that float in front of your eyes – that costs about £3,500/$3,500.
You start the process, remove the headset, spin it around, and let it scan your face.
It’ll make you blink, smile, and turn your head from side to side.
And in a matter of seconds, you’ve got a virtual 3D rendering of your face created using AI tech that can mimic your movements while wearing the headset.
It means if someone calls me up on video, they don’t have to stare at a lifeless avatar – and can enjoy my lifelike Persona instead.
The new Persona is infinitely more realistic than the old one. When the new look was announced on stage during Apple’s WWDC 2025 event earlier this week, it got a big reaction from the crowd.
“Taking advantage of industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology, the all-new Personas now have striking expressivity and sharpness,” Apple said.
“Offering a full side profile view, and remarkable accurate hair, lashes, and complexion.”
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It’s genuinely very impressive, and I think it captures my face pretty well.
My colleague Jamie Harris reckons it’s made me look a bit old – but I was pretty jet-lagged, so maybe my Persona was reflecting my tiredness.
In any case, it’s pretty much bang on.
But if you look closely, there are two parts of me that are totally faked.
The first is my glasses, which isn’t a part of my body – so it doesn’t really count.
Instead, you get to pick from a selection of 1,000 different glasses variants.
The second part of me that was faked was…my tongue.
Yes, the tongue you see my sticking out in the video was not mine.
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I was curious to try it, as the headset didn’t scan my tongue, so I wondered what would happen if I unleashed it in the name of journalism.
And it turns out that the Apple Vision Pro fills in a vaguely appropriate human tongue.
It knows you’re sticking out your tongue (and the other facial movements you’re making) thanks to internal cameras on the headset.
So you can grin with teeth or without, raise both eyebrows or just one, and shake your head from side to side. I’m totally in control of my Persona – the only “AI” involved is in creating the fake face, but the movements are my own.
Apple Vision Pro tech specs – the geeky stats
The hardware details you’re looking for…
Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Display: Micro OLED 3D display system (23 million pixels)
Refresh Rates: 90Hz / 96Hz / 100Hz
Processor: 8-core M2 CPU (with 10-core GPU) + R1 coprocessor
Camera:
- Stereoscopic 3D main camera system
- Spatial photo and video capture
- 18 mm, ƒ/2.00 aperture
- 6.5 stereo megapixels
Sensors:
- Two high‑resolution main cameras
- Six world‑facing tracking cameras
- Four eye‑tracking cameras
- TrueDepth camera
- LiDAR Scanner
- Four inertial measurement units (IMUs)
- Flicker sensor
- Ambient light sensor
Audio:
- Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
- Personalized Spatial Audio and audio ray tracing
- Six‑mic array with directional beamforming
- Supports H2‑to‑H2 ultra‑low‑latency connection to AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C)
Battery: Up to 2 hours of general use / 2.5 hours of video watching
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.3
Input:
Supported Input Accessories:
- Keyboards
- Trackpads
- Game controllers
Weight: 600 to 650 grams (21.2 to 22.9 ounces)
FACE THE FUTURE
It’s extremely impressive, but there’s an obvious downside: very few people can make Personas right now.
They’re totally tied to the Apple Vision Pro, which is financially out of reach for most people.
But this is a sign of things to come.
Eventually, these types of headsets won’t cost so much – and won’t be as massive on your face.
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Just look at Meta’s Orion prototype glasses, which I tested out a few weeks ago in London.
They don’t have the same visual quality as an Apple Vision Pro, and they’ll be wildly expensive, but they’re basically only a little larger than a regular pair of glasses.
You can imagine in the not-too-distant-future, these types of lifelike avatars will only become more important.
Think of a future where smartphones are increasingly less common as people switch to “spatial computers” on their faces.
They’ll be able to scan what you see, take pictures wherever you go, and let you make video calls beamed directly to your eyes.
When we get to that point, tech like Personas will become an essential part of video calling.
And if they look this good now, imagine how realistic they’ll be in 10 years.
Apple Vision Pro pricing – how much does it cost?
Here’s what you’ll pay…
In the United Kingdom:
Apple Vision Pro 256GB / 512GB / 1TB – £3,499 / £3,699 / £3,899
Zeiss Optical Inserts (optional) Readers / Prescription – £99 / £149
AppleCare+ protection – £499
In the United States:
Apple Vision Pro 256GB / 512GB / 1TB – $3,499 / $3,699 / $3,899
Zeiss Optical Inserts (optional) Readers / Prescription – $99 / $149
AppleCare+ protection – $499
