Apple Reality Pro VR/AR headset: Release date, news & specs - Macworld

It’s looking much and much similar Apple’s adjacent large happening won’t beryllium thing that fits successful your pouch oregon a bag. Rather it could beryllium different wearable device. Analysts Ming Chi-Kuo said successful 2021 that Apple’s “goal is to regenerate the ‌iPhone‌ with AR successful 10 years.” Here’s everything we cognize truthful acold astir Apple’s rumored mixed-reality headset.

Apple AR/VR headset: Latest rumors

January 11, 2023: Apple precocious released preview versions of Apple Music, TV, and Devices apps for Windows PC. References to “Reality OS” and “xrOS” person been recovered successful the codification for the Devices app.

January 3, 2023: The Information has an nonfiction purporting to uncover respective caller method details astir Apple’s device, including a waist-mounted artillery pack, integer crown, however it works with AirPods, and overmuch more.

December 1, 2022: In different scoop for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman reports that the operating strategy for Apple’s AR/VR task has been renamed from “realityOS” to “xrOS,” and that the heads of galore of Apple’s interior apps are progressive successful the project.

September 25, 2022: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote successful the Power On newsletter (subscription required) that Apple’s headset could beryllium released successful 2023.

June 6, 2022: The New York Times reports that Apple “has enlisted Hollywood directors specified arsenic Jon Favreau” to develop content for its upcoming headset.

Apple AR/VR headset: Release date

The latest rumors from chiefly from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reports that the operating strategy (xrOS) and different bundle developemtn for the headset is present successful precocious cogwheel with a merchandise day aimed for 2023.

The latest rumors suggest a imaginable unveiling successful the spring, followed by much elaborate info for developers astatine WWDC and a user merchandise successful the 2nd fractional of 2023.

Apple released a preview mentation of a “Devices” app for Windows PCs (in which 1 would negociate iPhones and different devices connected a Windows PC arsenic iTunes is phased out; Macs usage Finder for this task). Twitter idiosyncratic @aaronp613 discovered references successful the codification of this merchandise to “Reality OS” and “xrOS”, the operating strategy codification names for Apple’s Reality headset.

The headset is supposedly going to beryllium called “Reality Pro,” though rumors astir Apple’s last user marque names are notoriously sketchy.

Apple AR/VR headset: Design

While the eventual extremity of Apple’s AR task is to nutrient a brace of fashionable astute glasses, the archetypal mentation volition reportedly beryllium overmuch bigger than that, weighing betwixt 300-400 grams, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. According to reports, the first-generation Apple headset volition beryllium an Oculus-style headset with a knit mesh-wrapped assemblage akin to the AirPods Max. It could look thing similar a sleeker mentation of Google’s Daydream headset, which besides had a brushed cloth body. A patent application for a “head-mounted show unit” besides elaborate respective areas of adjustment, meaning comfortableness volition beryllium an country of focus. Supposedly the instrumentality is made of aluminum, glass, and c fibre to minimize weight.

However, we don’t cognize overmuch other astir the plan of Apple’s AR device. While Jon Prosser reported that Apple is moving connected a prototype brace of AR glasses, much caller rumors suggest that a bona fide brace of glasses is apt inactive years distant from production. In January, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple volition beryllium utilizing “pancake” lenses to support the value and bulk down. The existent plan is said to lucifer high-tech skis goggles.

While the rumors accidental that Apple experimented with a artillery integrated into the headband similar the Meta Quest Pro, it yet settled connected an outer artillery you would clip to your waist oregon enactment successful a pocket, connected to the headset with a magnetically-attached (think Magsafe connected MacBooks) powerfulness cable. One complaint is said to past lone a mates hours, but you tin swap artillery packs to usage the instrumentality longer.

Curiously, Kuo says Apple is already working connected a second-generation model (via 9to5Mac) expected to motorboat successful 2024 with a “significantly lighter” and “updated industrial” design.

The New York Times reported successful June that the headset “looks similar a brace of skis goggles.” The Information says a tiny integer crown-like instrumentality connected the broadside volition fto users seamless power betwixt afloat virtual (VR) and seeing their surroundings (AR).

Apple AR/VR headset: Audio

According to a study by The Information, the latency for astir wireless earbuds oregon headphones is excessively precocious for its purposes, truthful users volition person to usage 1 of 2 solutions. One is simply a headband with integrated speakers (much similar that connected the Meta Quest Pro), the different is to usage caller AirPods models, which tin participate an “ultra-low latency” mode erstwhile connected to the headset. The headset seemingly contains the H2 processors (found successful the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro).

Apple AR/VR headset: Displays

As a mixed-reality device, Apple’s glasses are rumored to grip some virtual and augmented world via a brace of high-resolution OLED 4K screens made by Sony, including eye-tracking technology. The headset volition reportedly diagnostic much than a twelve cameras and sensors, according to The Information, which volition task a real-world presumption onto the screens arsenic if you were looking done wide glass. It volition presumably usage either OLED oregon mini LED and incorporated Apple’s Ceramic Shield coating arsenic well.

In January, Display Supply Chain Consultants reported that the headset volition person “three show modules” comprised of 2 Micro OLED displays and 1 AMOLED panel. The AMOLED show is seemingly a low-refresh show that faces outward, to amusement different radical your facial look and trim the awkwardness of interacting with radical wearing the headset.

Small interior motors are said to automatically set the lenses and displays to lucifer the users’s IPD (inter-pupillary distance, which is however acold isolated your eyes are), giving a afloat tract of presumption of 120 degrees.

Apple AR/VR headset: Processor and specs

According to Kuo (via Macrumors), Apple’s AR headset volition person 2 processors, with the higher-end processor having “similar computing powerfulness arsenic the M1 for Mac” and the secondary spot liable for “sensor-related computing.” The sounds similar a batch of processing powerfulness for a headset, but if the headset needs to powerfulness a brace of 4K displays, it volition request a hefty chip. Reports besides accidental that it volition request to beryllium tethered to an iPhone, overmuch similar the archetypal Apple Watch.

Kuo besides reported that the headset volition enactment Wi-Fi 6E, which is besides rumored to travel to the iPhone 14. It volition besides presumably person astatine slightest 8GB of RAM and a 256GB hard drive. We don’t cognize thing yet astir the artillery life, but Kuo says improving artillery beingness volition beryllium a absorption of the second-generation model. Kuo reports that the headset volition travel with the aforesaid 96W powerfulness adapter arsenic the MacBook Pro, which suggests it volition person a large battery.

The Information says the instrumentality is powered by a main SoC with CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage, on with a secondary customized representation awesome processor that stitches unneurotic each the inputs from each the cameras into a azygous practice of the extracurricular world, and it communicates with the SoC via a customized ultra-low-latency streaming codec developed by Apple.

The headset is said excessively employment some short-range and long-range LiDAR to make a 3D representation of your surroundings.

Apple AR/VR headset: Apps and functionality

As a mixed-reality device, Apple’s headset volition besides beryllium capable to grip some AR and VR applications, which opens the headset up to a assortment of apps. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman besides said that gaming could person “a beardown focus” connected the level arsenic good arsenic “media consumption.” He expects Apple volition enactment intimately with developers and media partners to make contented that tin beryllium watched successful VR connected the device. Apple volition apt thin into VR contented with its ain TV+ work arsenic well.

Apple volition besides surely person apps dedicated to AR-type things, specified arsenic the Measure app and things similar the instrumentality that lets you spot a 3D render of Apple products earlier you bargain it. In a December report, Gurman additionally said the iPhone’s Animojis and VR FaceTime could beryllium positioned arsenic “the new-age Zoom.”

The headset is expected to travel with caller versions of halfway apps similar Messages and Maps, and reports assertion that Apple precocious enlisted the caput of engineering for its iWork productivity apps, Notes app, and Apple News to enactment connected the headset.

We’re told that we tin expect a bundle improvement kit and App Store for third-party applications arsenic well.

The New York Times reported successful June that Apple “has enlisted Hollywood directors specified arsenic Jon Favreau” to make contented for its upcoming headset. The study said Favreau is “working to bring (Prehistoric Planet’s) dinosaurs to beingness connected the headset.”

Apple AR/VR headset: Price

As acold arsenic pricing, rumors suggest that the archetypal iteration could beryllium an highly costly device, perchance costing respective 1000 dollars. In December, a Display Supply Chain Consultants study noted that measurement estimates for the AR headset’s displays “look debased for adjacent year,” which apt indicates a precocious terms tag (and debased sales). With a terms tag that’s retired of scope for astir people, the AR headset would chiefly beryllium a impervious of conception instrumentality for diehards and developers, but nary little breathtaking to the aboriginal of Apple wearables.