Apple's AR/VR Headset Nearing Completion as Board Gets Demo

[F-22Raptor]

Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and could see a debut in the not too distant future, reports Bloomberg. Apple has also ramped up development of the software that runs on the headset, with that software expected to be called "RealityOS," or rOS for short.

Render via designer Ian Zelbo

Work on a headworn AR/VR device has been ongoing for years now, and Apple's first product is believed to be a hybrid headset that has a curved visor and a soft mesh that fits against the face. It is expected to have an Apple Watch-like strap to hold it in place, and Apple is aiming to make it lighter and more comfortable than other AR/VR headsets that are on the market.


It will feature two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, powerful processors equivalent to the M-series chips, eye tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, spatial audio, and other features. When it launches, the headset is expected to cost somewhere around $3,000.

Apple has reportedly been working to release the headset since 2019 but there have been multiple delays in 2020, 2021, and now, 2022. Apple has been dealing with issues such as overheating and problems with the camera and the software, which has caused the debut date to be pushed back several times.

Bloomberg suggests that we could see the AR/VR headset as early as the end of the year, though a consumer release isn't planned until 2023.

The AR/VR headset will be Apple's first major new product category since the Apple Watch that came out seven years ago in 2015. Apple is expected to follow the AR/VR headset with a second-generation version and a set of augmented reality smart glasses that are going to launch sometime around 2024.

Apple's AR/VR Headset Nearing Completion as Board Gets Demo

Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Ali_Baba]

At that price - it is for professionals and not home users..

 

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Apple’s VR headset could be more powerful than the world's best MacBook

Apple's headset looks set to be a MacBook for your face

www.techradar.com

Apple’s VR headset could be more powerful than the world's best MacBook​

Ahead of its rumored 2023 launch, it seems the Apple headset is getting a power boost thanks to Apple’s impressive M2 chip. If true then it could make be more powerful than our favorite MacBook, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020).



That’s according to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter(opens in new tab) where he said “I’m told the latest internal incarnations of the [Apple headset] run the base M2 chip along with 16 gigabytes of RAM.” Previous rumors had indicated that Apple’s headset would instead be powered by two different chips – an M1-like processor for more intense applications, and a weaker chip for low-powered uses.

Rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but this one from Gurman certainly makes a lot of sense.

When the Apple headset was due to launch this year an M1 chip would have been an appropriate choice. The more powerful M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are designed for professional workstations like the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) rather than consumer-focused devices like the headset, and the M2 would have been too new to properly incorporate it into the headset’s design.

However, given that 2023 is set to be the headset’s due date, Apple now has plenty of time to configure its design around its more powerful M2 hardware. If it does so it’ll also avoid any embarrassment of launching a premium device with outdated hardware.

The M2 and M1 both feature an 8-core CPU, with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. However, the M2 has two more GPU cores for a total of 10, as well as a neural engine capable of 5.8 trillion operations per second, more than 40% more operations than on the M1 according to Apple.


Translating what the numbers mean into practical terms, thanks to its upgraded GPU the headset should be able to put its dual-8K micro OLED displays to good use. Apple’s headset with an M2 would be able to create more visually impressive and (importantly) more realistic AR and VR experiences.


This souped-up hardware will likely come at a high cost. With specs comparable to some of Apple's best iPads and best MacBooks, we expect the headset will set us back at least $1,000 / £1,000 / $1,500 if not more, but we'll have to wait and see what the Californian tech giant decides.


Apple has yet to confirm the existence of its headset publically yet, though Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased that the company is working on some kind of AR hardware.


With a 2023 launch seeming more and more likely we’ll hopefully hear something more concrete about Apple’s AR/VR efforts later this year – or more likely at its spring 2023 conference which will probably take place in March.

 

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Report: Apple’s mixed reality headset is just a few months away

The device could be announced as soon as January.

arstechnica.com

Report: Apple’s mixed reality headset is just a few months away​