It increasingly looks like Apple’s next big thing won’t be something that fits in your pocket or a bag. It could instead be another portable device. Analysts Ming Chi-Kuo said in 2021 that “Apple’s goal is to replace the iPhone with AR in 10 years.” Here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s mixed reality headset.
Apple AR/VR Headset: Latest Rumors
January 11, 2023: Apple recently released preview versions of Apple Music, TV, and Devices apps for Windows PC. References to “Reality OS” and “xrOS” were found in the Devices app code.
January 3, 2023: The Information features an article claiming to reveal several new technical details about Apple’s device, including a waist-mounted battery, a digital crown, how it works with AirPods, and more.
December 1, 2022: In another scoop for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman reports that Apple’s AR/VR Project operating system has been renamed from “realityOS” to “xrOS,” and that the makers of many of Apple’s internal apps are involved in the project.
September 25, 2022: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in the Power On newsletter (subscription required) that Apple’s headphones could be released in 2023.
June 6, 2022: The New York Times reports that Apple “enlisted Hollywood directors such as Jon Favreau” to develop content for his next helmet.
Apple AR/VR headset: release date
The latest rumors mainly come from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reports that the operating system (xrOS) and other software being developed for the headset is now in high gear with an expected release date of 2023.
The latest rumors suggest a potential spring reveal, followed by more detailed developer info at WWDC and a mainstream release in the second half of 2023.
Apple has released a preview version of a “Devices” app for Windows PCs (in which one would manage iPhones and other devices on a Windows PC as iTunes is being phased out; Macs use the Finder for this task). twitter user discovered references in this release’s code to “Reality OS” and “xrOS”, the operating system codenames for Apple’s Reality headset.
The headset will supposedly be called “Reality Pro”, although rumors about Apple’s end consumer brand names are notoriously sketchy.
Apple AR/VR Headset: Design
While the ultimate goal of Apple’s AR project is to produce a fashionable pair of smart glasses, the first version would be much larger than that, weighing between 300 and 400 grams, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. According to reports, the first-generation Apple headset will be an Oculus-style headset with a knitted mesh body similar to the AirPods Max. It might look like a sleeker version of Google’s Daydream headset, which also had a soft fabric body. A patent application for a “head-mounted display unit” also detailed several areas of adjustability, meaning comfort will be an area of focus. Supposedly, the device is made of aluminum, glass, and carbon fiber to minimize weight.
However, we don’t know much else about the design of Apple’s AR device. While Jon Prosser reported that Apple is working on a prototype pair of AR glasses, more recent rumors suggest that a bona fide pair of glasses is likely still years away from production. In January, Ming-Chi Kuo announced that Apple would use “pancake” lenses to reduce weight and bulk. The current design is said to resemble high-tech ski goggles.
While rumors say that Apple experimented with a battery built into the headband like the Meta Quest Pro, it eventually opted for an external battery that you clip to your waist or put in a pocket, connected to the headset with a tether. magnetic (think Magsafe power cable on MacBook). A charge is said to last only a few hours, but you can swap out the batteries to use the device for longer.
Curiously, Kuo says that Apple is already working on a second-generation model (via 9to5Mac) which is expected to launch in 2024 with a “significantly lighter” and “updated industrial” design.
The New York Times reported in June that the helmet “looks like a pair of ski goggles.” The information says that a small crown-shaped digital wheel on the side will allow users to seamlessly switch between fully virtual (VR) and seeing their surroundings (AR).
Apple AR/VR Headset: Audio
According to a report by The Information, the latency of most wireless headphones or headsets is too high for its needs, so users will have to use one of two solutions. One is a headband with built-in speakers (much like the one in the Meta Quest Pro), the other is using recent models of AirPods, which can enter “ultra-low latency” mode when they are connected to the headset. The headphones apparently contain the H2 processors (found in the 2nd generation AirPods Pro).
Apple AR/VR Headset: Poster
As a mixed-reality device, Apple’s glasses are said to handle both virtual and augmented reality via a pair of high-resolution 4K OLED screens made by Sony, including eye-tracking technology. According to The Information, the headset will feature more than a dozen cameras and sensors, which will project a view of the real world onto the screens as if you were looking through transparent glass. It will presumably use either OLED or mini LED and will also incorporate Apple’s Ceramic Shield coating.
In January, Display Supply Chain Consultants announced that the headset will have “three display modules” consisting of two Micro OLED displays and an AMOLED panel. The AMOLED display is apparently a low-refresh screen that faces outwardsto show other people your facial expression and reduce the discomfort of interacting with people wearing the headset.
The small internal motors are said to automatically adjust the lenses and screens to match the user’s IPD (inter-pupillary distance, which is the distance between your eyes), giving a full 120 degree field of view.
Apple AR/VR Headset: Processor and Specs
According to Kuo (via Macrumors), Apple’s AR headset will have two processors, with the high-end processor having “similar computing power to the M1 for Mac” and the secondary chip responsible for “sensor-related computing.” . That sounds like a lot of processing power for a headset, but if the headset is going to power a pair of 4K displays, it’s going to need a heavy chip. Reports also say it will need to be paired with an iPhone, much like the original Apple Watch.
Kuo also reported that the headset will support Wi-Fi 6E, which will also be available on the iPhone 14. It will also likely have at least 8GB of RAM and a 256GB hard drive. battery life, but Kuo says improved battery life will be a focus of the second-gen model. Kuo reports that the headset will ship with the same 96W power adapter as the MacBook Pro, suggesting it will have a big battery.
The information indicates that the device is powered by a main SoC with CPU, GPU, RAM and storage, as well as a secondary custom image signal processor which assembles all inputs from all cameras into a single representation of the world. external, and it communicates with the SoC through a custom ultra-low latency streaming codec developed by Apple.
The headset is also said to use both short-range and long-range LiDAR to develop a 3D map of your surroundings.
Apple
Apple AR/VR Headset: Apps and Features
As a mixed reality device, Apple’s headset will also be able to handle AR and VR apps, which opens up the headset to a variety of applications. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said the game could have “a heavy focus” on the platform as well as “media consumption”. He expects Apple to work closely with developers and media partners to create content that can be viewed in virtual reality on the device. Apple will likely also look into VR content with its own TV+ service.
Apple will also surely have dedicated apps for AR-like things, such as the Measure app and things like the tool that lets you see a 3D rendering of Apple products before you buy it. In a December report, Gurman also said the iPhone’s Animojis and VR FaceTime could be positioned as “the zoom of the new era.”
The headset is expected to ship with new versions of core apps like Messages and Maps, and reports claim Apple recently hired the head of engineering for its iWork productivity apps, Notes app, and Apple News. to work on the headset.
We’re told we can also expect a SDK and App Store for third-party apps.
The New York Times reported in June that Apple “has tapped Hollywood directors like Jon Favreau” to develop content for its upcoming headset. The report states that Favreau is “working to bring the (Prehistoric Planet) dinosaurs to life on the helmet.”
Apple AR/VR Headset: Price
As for pricing, rumors suggest that the first iteration could be an extremely expensive device, possibly costing several thousand dollars. In December, a report from Display Supply Chain Consultants noted that volume estimates for AR headset displays “look low for next year,” likely indicating a high price (and low sales). With a price tag out of reach for most people, the AR headset would primarily be a proof-of-concept device for diehards and developers, but no less exciting for the future of Apple wearables.
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