There is a research unit inside Apple with hundreds of personnel working on AR and VR and exploring approaches the rising technology will be utilized in future Apple products. AR/VR headset hiring has ramped up during the last several years, and Apple has acquired a couple of AR/VR companies because it furthers its work withinside the AR/VR space.
AR/VR Headset
Apple`s first headset will support each AR and VR capabilities, technology it truly is commonly referred to as “mixed reality.” Augmented reality (AR) and digital reality (VR) are comparable technologies, however their potential applications range significantly.
Google Glass, a Google product that’s now largely defunct, is an example of a head-worn augmented reality device, while the Oculus and PlayStation VR are examples of head-worn virtual reality devices.
Apple is working on both of these technologies, but the initial product will be more similar to the Oculus than Google Glass.
Apple’s AR/VR headset Design
Apple’s AR/VR headset will look similar to some other VR headsets on the market, featuring a design that’s not too far off from the Facebook Oculus Quest virtual reality headset.
Current headset weigh around 200 to 300 grams, but Apple is aiming to reduce the final weight to 100 to 200 grams if technical problems can be solved, which would make the headset lighter than existing VR devices.
Apple’s AR/VR headset Display
the AR/VR headset will have two to three displays. There will be two high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Sony is expected to supply the display modules that Apple will use.
They allow for pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels, plus they have a faster microseconds response time, making them ideal for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
Apple’s AR/VR headset camera
With 8 camera modules will reportedly be used for see-through augmented reality experiences for the user, while another 6 modules will be used for “innovative biometrics.” One camera will also be available for environmental detection.
There will be a set of eye-detecting cameras that will allegedly allow users to “read small type” and see other people standing in front of and behind virtual objects.
Apple’s AR/VR headset Control Methods
With There will be four 3D-sensing modules for detecting hand gestures and nearby objects through spatial detection, and the headset will also feature voice control and support for Siri commands. It will also detect skin and it might be able to monitor expression.
Apple is exploring several input methods for the AR/VR headset, including hand gestures, eye-tracking, and input from a wearable device connected to the headset.
Apple’s AR/VR headset Processors
Two Mac-level processors will be included in the AR/VR headset for unprecedented computing power in a wearable device.
There will be a high-end main processor that’s similar to the M1 Pro chip that Apple debuted for its Apple silicon Macs last year, along with a lower-end processor for managing the sensor-related aspects of the device. One of these chips is a 4-nanometer chip, which is the latest TSMC technology, and the other is a 5-nanometer chip.
Apple’s AR/VR headset realityOS Operating System
The AR/VR headset is expected to run a new operating system called “realityOS,” which stands for Reality Operating System.
Apple may be planning to work with media partners to create content that can be watched in VR, and there could be a VR FaceTime-like experience with Animojis and other features.
WiFi 6E
WiFi 6E has all of the benefits of WiFi 6 but adds 6GHz spectrum in addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for increased bandwidth and less interference between devices.
Apple’s AR/VR headset Price
Pricing on the headset could start somewhere around $3,000, which will make it much more expensive than an iPhone. To start with, it won’t be aimed at general consumers
Apple’s AR/VR headset Release Date
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the headset release date late 2022 or 2023 launch, and Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman recently said that while Apple was targeting mid-2022 for an unveiling, that’s now been pushed back to the end of the year or 2023.
Apple Glasses
Apple’s AR/VR headset will be followed by an augmented reality product, which rumors have been calling the Apple Glasses. The Apple Glasses will be more of an everyday wearable product than the headset, as they will resemble traditional glasses.
The glasses are similar to regular glasses, with both lenses to feature displays that can be interacted with using gestures. There will be an option to get the glasses with no prescription lenses at a possible starting price of $499, with prescription lenses available at an additional cost.
