It’s looking more and more like Apple’s next big thing won’t be something that fits in your pocket or a bag. Instead, it could be another wearable gadget. Analysts Ming Chi-Kuo said in November that Apple’s “goal is to replace the iPhone with AR in 10 years.” Here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s rumored mixed-reality headset.
2022 Apple headset: The latest rumors
September 25, 2022 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in the Power On Newsletter (subscription required) that Apple’s headset could be Released in 2023.
June 6, 2022: The New York Times reports that Apple “has enlisted Hollywood directors such as Jon Favreau” to Create contentIt will be available in the near future.
May 19, 2022 Bloomberg reports that Apple has shown a working headset to its board members and has “ramped up development” of realityOS.
February 22, 2022 DigitimesApple’s final production run has been reported by reports Key production testsIts AR headset.
February 9, 2022 iOS developer Rens Verhoeven has spotted a Reference to realityOS in App StoreUpload logs Signs to look out for Apple’s augmented reality/virtual reality headset is well along in development.
January 11, 2022 Ming-Chi Kuo reports (MacrumorsThe Apple AR headset will use this ). same 96W USB-C power adapterIt will be the MacBook Pro with a larger battery, as it is known.
January 5, 2022Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new report (MacRumors) describes Apple’s lens setup as having a “pancake” designIt will be lighter and more compact.
January 4, 2022 Display Supply Chain Consultants Apple’s headset will have “an innovative display configuration, with three display modules.”
2022 Apple headset design
While the ultimate goal of Apple’s AR project is to produce A pair of stylish smart glassesAccording to reports, the first version of the device will weigh in at 300-400 grams. According to Ming-Chi Kuo. According to reports, Apple’s first-generation headset will be available in the coming weeks. Oculus-style headsetWith a knit mesh-wrapped frame similar to the AirPods Max. It could look something 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 adjustment, meaning comfort will be an area of focus.
However, we don’t know much else about the design of Apple’s AR device. Jon Prosser claimed that Apple is currently working on a prototype pair AR glasses. But, recent rumors suggest that production of a real pair of glasses will take years. January was the launching month. Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple will be using “pancake” lenses to keep the weight and bulk down.
Kuo believes that Apple is already here. Working on a second generation model (via 9to5Mac) expected to launch in 2024 with a “significantly lighter” and “updated industrial” design.
The New York Times Reports from June that the headset “looks like a pair of ski goggles.”
2022 Apple headset: Display
As a mixed-reality device, Apple’s glasses are rumored to handle both virtual and augmented reality via a pair of high-resolution 8K screens using eye-tracking technology. It will likely include more than a dozen cameras. According to The InformationIt will project a real-world view onto screens, as though you were looking through glass. It will presumably use either OLED or mini LED and incorporate Apple’s Ceramic Shield coating as well.
In January Display Supply Chain Consultants reported that the headset will have “three display modules” comprised of two Micro OLED displays and one AMOLED panel. According to the report, the tertiary OLED panel would be used for “low-resolution peripheral vision, thereby enabling a foveated display system” based on where the user’s focus is.
2022 Apple headset – Processor and specifications
Kuo (Macrumors), Apple’s AR headset will have two processors, with the higher-end processor having “similar computing power as the M1 for Mac” and the secondary chip responsible for “sensor-related computing.” The sounds like a lot of processing power for a headset, but if the headset needs to power a pair of 8K displays, it will need a hefty chip. It will also need to be connected to an iPhone like the original Apple Watch.
Kuo also reportedThe headset will be able to connect to Wi-Fi 6E. This is also expected to be available on the iPhone 14. It will presumably also have at minimum 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB hard disk. We don’t know anything yet about the battery life, but Kuo says improving battery life will be a focus of the sModel of the econd-generation. Kuo reports the headset will be equipped with the same power adapter that powers the MacBook Pro at 96W, which implies it will have an enormous battery.
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2022 Apple headset: Apps & functionality
We don’t know yet what the user interface for Apple’s headset will look like, but it appears to be akin to a heads-up AR display that recognizes people and objects while also handling VR applications. With names and directions overlayed on streets, the immersive walking directions that iOS 15 offers are a good example of how it will function. We expect that the experience will include apps for music, fitness, messages, calls, and other services.
The headset can also handle VR applications because it is a mixed reality device. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said that gaming could have “a strong focus” on the platform as well as “media consumption.” He expects Apple will work closely with developers and media partners to create content that can be watched in VR on the device. Apple is likely to explore VR content through its TV+ service.
Apple will surely also have apps for AR-type stuff, like the Measure app or the tool that lets users see a 3D render before they buy an Apple product. In a December report, Gurman additionally said the iPhone’s Animojis and VR FaceTime could be positioned as “the new-age Zoom.”
Ming-Chi Kuo reported December that navigation using hand gestures was possible for the device. Technical note by 9to5Mac, he predicts that “the structured light of the AR/MR headset can detect not only the position change of the user or other people’s hand and object in front of the user’s eyes but also the dynamic detail change of the hand (just like the iPhone’s Face ID/structured light/Animoji can detect user’s dynamic expression change).” It’s likely that Siri will also play a prominent role in how users communicate with the headset.
The New York Times Reports from June that Apple “has enlisted Hollywood directors such as Jon Favreau” to develop content for its upcoming headset. The report said Favreau is “working to bring (Prehistoric Planet’s) dinosaurs to life on the headset.”
2022 Apple headset: Prices and release
Apple’s VR headset is reportedly in production for years. Gurman, Kuo and others agree that Apple intends to release it by the end of 2022. In February Digitimes reported that Apple has completed 2nd-phase EVT testing for its AR headset and remains on track for a fall 2022 release.
According to rumors, the first iteration of the AR headset could be a very expensive one, potentially costing several thousand. In December, a Display Supply Chain Consultants report noted that volume estimates for the AR headset’s displays “look low for next year,” which likely indicates a high price tag (and low sales). With a price tag that’s out of reach for most people, the AR headset would mainly be a proof of concept device for diehards and developers, but no less exciting to the future of Apple wearables.
