Rumor has it that Apple is working on a virtual reality headset to be released as early as next year, and The information reported today on some of the possible features you can expect, based on information shared by a source with direct knowledge of the device.
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The report claims that the headset will be equipped with more than a dozen hand-tracking cameras, along with dual 8K ultra-high-resolution displays and advanced eye-tracking technology. The cameras could send real-world video through the crosshairs and show it to the user, creating a “mixed reality effect”.
The information said it viewed internal Apple images of a “late-stage prototype” of last year’s headset, which features a “slim, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and interchangeable headbands.”
The report claims that a headband would have spatial audio technology like the AirPods Pro for a surround sound-like experience, while another optional headband would provide extra battery life on the go. As with AirPods Max replacement ear pads, the headbands may also be offered in different colors.
Apple would develop multiple ways to operate the headset, including a “thimble-like device that can be worn on a person’s finger.” The headset could also respond to the wearer’s eye movements and hand gestures, the report claims, while a prototype headset also featured a physical dial on the side of the visor.
Apple has internally talked about the price of the headset at around $ 3,000, according to the report, putting it on the fringes of Microsoft’s mixed reality HoloLens 2 headset, which retails for $ 3,500. This price would certainly make Apple’s headset a high-end niche product, with the company apparently setting an internal goal of shipping just 250,000 units of the headset in its first year of release.
Some of these details have been previously reported by Bloombergis Mark Gurman, CNET, and other sources, and The information agrees that the headset will likely be released in 2022 at the earliest. There are also rumors that Apple is working on slimmer, more affordable augmented reality glasses, but these aren’t expected until 2023 or later.