With 2022 almost halfway through the year and WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) just around the corner in June, it seems that the Apple AR/VR headset that many have been waiting for for so long is actually going to be unveiled.
▲Image from: Apple
According to a report from Bloomberg, a headset capable of supporting both augmented reality and virtual reality has been shown off at Apple's board meeting. Moreover, Apple is also already accelerating the development of the operating system 'Reality OS' that will run on this headset.
▲Image from: MacRumors
The device was shown physically and also entered an accelerated development phase for the software. In March of this year, a patent application by Apple was also shown on Skywatch, which indicated that the application involved a facial joint and a head-mounted display, with increasingly clear details indicating that the development of this product is getting close to completion.
Apple has been rumored to launch an AR/VR headset for a few years now, but in the meantime the product's software, camera and overheating issues have delayed its debut time and time again. The anticipation has been building, and people are increasingly curious about whether it will be the next 'world-changing' product from Apple, a company that puts equal emphasis on technology and design.
Based on the information and renders revealed by various parties so far, Apple's AR/VR headset looks similar to Meta's Quest 2 headset, with the display partially covering the eyes and parts of its upper and lower areas, and the whole being held on the user's head by an Apple Watch-like band.
▲Image from: Cult of Mac
In terms of hardware and performance, it will come with two 4K OLED micro displays, about 15 cameras for picture projection, a processor with the computing power of an M1-class chip, a large battery to keep the device running, at least 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage... ...In addition, it may also have features such as eye tracking and gesture detection.
▲Image from: Macworld
While the overall look isn't exactly lightweight, this AR/VR headset will have to have enough room for all kinds of devices in order to achieve the desired functionality. However, Tianfeng International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has mentioned that this AR/VR headset from Apple may only weigh around 100 to 200 grams in order to give users a better immersion experience.
▲ Photo from: tom's guide
The combination of looks and performance makes this headset worth waiting for. So in the news about the price, it is all agreed that it should not be cheap, expected to be around $2000 to $3000.
It's worth mentioning that Apple reportedly intends to launch a smart glasses-type AR/VR device in addition to this AR/VR headset, which will focus more on AR features and experiences, but more specific release plans are not yet known.
▲ Image from: appleinsider
Now that Apple's AR/VR headset is in the late stages of development though, curiosity is growing, not only about the look, performance, and name ...... but also its positioning among Apple's many products - will it rely on devices like the iPhone as an accessory? Or will it have its own ecology for content delivery?
▲Image from: Seeking Alpha
At this rate, it's unlikely we'll see it at WWDC in 2022, but it's not too far away. We've waited and waited, and we'll finally know the answer to these curiosity points.