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10 Cutting Edge Features to Expect From Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset
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It doesn't matter what type of technology Apple brings to the table with VR/AR if they cannot manage to start competing in the gaming space. Gaming is the killer VR app. PS5 VR will destroy Apple because there are fun things to do with it, not because the tech is necessarily better.
I'm still failing to see what the hype is about – with regards to VR, and especially to its application to business. Every time I've worn a headset it's like "Cool, a rollercoaster", or "I can move my head around and the image moves, neat", but that's about it. I can see where it might go with gaming, but donning a headset to see your coworkers' avatars and have a meeting that way? It just seems incredibly gimmicky.
For day to day things it seems very impractical – the Google Glass seems like a much better approach for getting information displayed within your field of vision. I know people much smarter than me will come up with some great ideas, but until then it'll be a "wait and see" thing for me.
For day to day things it seems very impractical – the Google Glass seems like a much better approach for getting information displayed within your field of vision. I know people much smarter than me will come up with some great ideas, but until then it'll be a "wait and see" thing for me.
I think the article forgot to mention the headache and eyestrain features that are going to make the pharmaceutical companies wild with profits.
can someone help explain this product to me? LOL or at least how you interpret how it’ll function?
so I imagine, similar to how you can see AR stuff on your iPhone screen in certain apps (where it looks like dinosaurs are in your living room etc,)— that’s how this will work and the lenses act like a screen that are showing you what’s around you via cameras…
and you can be walking, see the real world and then see a notification pop up in front of you and have a text open up for example and reply back by speaking? and you can see the message typed out in front of you as you’re speaking?
I haven’t seen any demos of similar products so I just don’t know. 😂
so I imagine, similar to how you can see AR stuff on your iPhone screen in certain apps (where it looks like dinosaurs are in your living room etc,)— that’s how this will work and the lenses act like a screen that are showing you what’s around you via cameras…
and you can be walking, see the real world and then see a notification pop up in front of you and have a text open up for example and reply back by speaking? and you can see the message typed out in front of you as you’re speaking?
I haven’t seen any demos of similar products so I just don’t know. 😂
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Man with several hundred posts on a tech rumors website tells others to go outside and get a life.
Hardware is cool, but this time it's all about the content.
if it comes with the oasis, it'll be a hit. Second life, not so much.
if it comes with the oasis, it'll be a hit. Second life, not so much.
I mean, in a magical world where both technologies were perfect, sure. But if you want AR glasses that could pass as normal glasses or even bulky sunglasses, there's not much you can do with current technology. Maybe you could have a single-color HUD that looks as big as an Apple watch display, and has similar capabilities to the watch. But even that is more "smart" glasses than "AR" glasses.
Looking forward to this. We know that their M-based chips are built around power and efficiency, and this should translate into a design we may have not considered before. I don’t see them focusing on the same areas as Meta, so it will be interesting to find out what they consider the killer app to be. I still think this will be the most important product announcement of theirs since the iPhone in 2007.
Though VR will come along for the ride, the market Apple will be focusing on is AR, with far more business/commercial and consumer applications.
Is this like a use in your home type of thing, or are people actually going to walk the streets in a set of diving goggles?
I’m expecting a minimum of $2,000. They are entering the market really early. There’s less than ten million devices sold every year.
I can see then easily grabbing 10% market share with a $2,000 price tag.
They deserve it? They haven’t even showed the product yet. For all we know this would be another Apple Watch or HomePod.
well you see, you uhhhhhhhhhh you you uhh you uhhhhhhhhhhh
LOL, what’s this? A made up your rumor day? Why not just say it has quad M2 Ultra with 1 week battery life in a thin design. 😂
Plot twist: This is the mysterious Apple Car project.
Toss on the googles and make that Kia Rio look like a Maserati!
Toss on the googles and make that Kia Rio look like a Maserati!
2 M2 chips, 10 cameras, 2 4k displays. Under 200 grams which is lighter than an iPhone 14 Pro. Using the new light weight helium/hydrogen vapor battery no doubt.
Apple next year is planning to enter a new product category, launching its first mixed reality headset. Rumors indicate that the upcoming headset will support both AR and VR technology, and that it will have features that will outshine competing products.
With the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Apple's hardware and software led it to dominate those categories within a few short years after entering a new market, and it's likely the same thing will happen with augmented and virtual reality. We've rounded up 10 features rumored for the AR/VR headset that will set it apart from competitors.
4K Micro-OLED Displays
Apple is using two high-resolution 4K micro-OLED displays from Sony that are said to have up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Comparatively, Meta's new top of the line Quest Pro has LCD displays, so Apple is going to be offering much more advanced display technology.
Micro-OLED displays are built directly onto chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, allowing for a thinner, smaller, and lighter display that's also more power efficient compared to LCDs and other alternatives.
Apple's design will block out peripheral light, and display quality will be adjusted for peripheral vision to cut down on the processing power necessary to run the device. Apple will be able to reduce graphical fidelity at the peripherals of the headset through the eye tracking functionality being implemented.
More Than a Dozen Cameras
Apple is outfitting its AR/VR headset with more than a dozen cameras, which will capture motion to translate real world movement to virtual movement. It is said to have two downward-facing cameras to capture leg movement specifically, which will be a unique feature that will allow for more accurate motion tracking.
The cameras will be able to map the environment, detecting surfaces, edges, and dimensions in rooms with accuracy, as well as people and other objects. The cameras may also be able to do things like enhance small type, and they'll be able to track body movements.
Iris Scanning
For privacy and security, the AR/VR headset will integrate an iris scanner that can read the pattern of the user's eye, allowing for an iris scan to be used in lieu of a password and for payment authentication.
Iris scanning on the AR/VR headset will be akin to Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It could allow two people to use the same headset, and it is a feature that is not available on competing headsets like Meta's new Quest Pro.
Facial Expression Tracking
The cameras in the AR/VR headset will be able to interpret facial expressions, translating them to virtual avatars. So if you smile or scowl in real life, your virtual avatar will make the same expression in various apps, similar to how the TrueDepth camera system works with Memoji and Animoji on the iPhone and iPad.
Thin and Light Design
Apple is aiming for comfort, and the AR/VR headset is rumored to be made from mesh fabric and aluminum, making it much lighter and thinner than other mixed reality headsets that are available on the market. Apple wants the weight to be around 200 grams, which is much lighter than the 722 gram Quest Pro from Meta.
In March 2021, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said current prototypes were around 200 to 300 grams.
Control Methods
3D sensing modules will detect hand gestures for control purposes, and there will be skin detection. Apple will allow for voice control and the AR/VR headset will support Siri like other Apple devices. Apple has tested a thimble-like device worn on the finger, but it is not yet clear what kind of input methods we'll get with the new device.
Interchangeable Headbands
The mesh fabric behind the eyepieces will make the headset comfortable to wear, and it will have swappable Apple Watch-like headbands to choose from.
One headband is rumored to provide spatial audio like technology for a surround sound-like experience, while another provides extra battery life. It's not clear if these will make it to launch, but headbands with different capabilities are definitely a possibility.
Unique App Experiences
The headset is going to run a new operating system called rOS, aka "Reality OS." Apple is designing unique apps made specifically for a virtual reality experience. Apple is said to be planning for a VR FaceTime-like experience with Animoji, where you might see a 3D Animoji or Memoji character version of a person instead of the person itself.
The aforementioned facial expression detection would allow the headset to read facial expressions and features, matching that in real time for a lifelike chatting experience. Apple is working with media partners for content that can be watched in VR, and existing services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade are expected to integrate with the headset.
A recent rumor of unknown reliability has indicated that Apple is working on a new version of the Messages app that could feature a new home view and chat rooms specifically for virtual and augmented reality chat features.
Apple Silicon Chip
Rumors suggest that Apple is going to use two Mac-level M2 processors for the AR/VR headset, which will give it more built-in compute power than competing products. Apple will use a high-end main processor and a lower-end processor that will manage the various sensors in the device.
Independent Operation
With two Apple silicon chips inside, the headset will not need to rely on a connection to an iPhone or a Mac for power, and it will be able to function on its own.
Read More
For more on everything that we've heard about Apple's work on the AR/VR headset, we have a dedicated roundup that aggregates all of the rumors.
Article Link: 10 Cutting Edge Features to Expect From Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset
I’m wary of iris scanning. The iris scanner on Samsung phones I’ve had in the past caused cumulative pain that ultimately became unbearable not just for me but for my husband and one other forum member. I can’t really play much with Animoji either because having my eyes scanned longer than it takes to unlock an iPhone makes them feel gritty and sore.
Everything else about this sounds interesting. I did enjoy VR when I played it on Samsung. Haunted houses were my guilty pleasure! I’m curious to see how AR is applied.
Everything else about this sounds interesting. I did enjoy VR when I played it on Samsung. Haunted houses were my guilty pleasure! I’m curious to see how AR is applied.
Games will help sell it, but will not be the killer app. That will be something more generic and broadly appealing.
I do think AR is the future, but a 2030 future. I think the tech of today is just... not ready yet.
The good thing about it : I have absolutely no expectations whatsoever about this device from Apple. Which means they could surprise me.
The good thing about it : I have absolutely no expectations whatsoever about this device from Apple. Which means they could surprise me.
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