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Apple Aiming to Announce Mixed-Reality Headset With In-Person Event in 'Next Several Months'

i'd be shocked if this happens in a few months and even more shocked if it is a big hit.

I just don't see the use case of the average person. to me it would be more of a hi-end professional development device or aspirational device. the person with money to blow would have it as his house and have a few cool things to show off on it to company. and then it would sit in a drawer.
 
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AR/VR headsets have been around for a while and never been a commercial success. I’m not convinced this product will be any different.
 
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rp2011 said:
Games are by far the most popular category on the app store. The video game market is valed at over $160 billion dollars.
If the apps and technologies are there, i expect to see these under every Christmas tree with kids under 40.
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The apps and technologies have been there for a while and had Luke warm sales at best. Look at the PlayStation headset.
 
Microsoft have announced a 10 year contract supplying AR tech to the US Army in a deal reportedly worth $21.9 billion. Microsoft will supply some 120,000 of its AR units to the US Army. This seems a more viable use of the technology.
 
Just wonder how innovative it will be. Considering recent "innovations" bar is extremely low.
 
Jony Quest said:
That’s a pretty bold (read: insane) opinion.

Lol, not even the wackiest of cheesy sci-fi shows and movies show anything remotely like that.
Your bizarre vision of the imaginary future will NEVER come to pass. I think you watched Wall-E one too many times on mushrooms or something.
There are some really amazing real world applications, for sure... but not what you’re imagining.

Lol, I’m picturing getting a text on a 12’ screen & waving my hands around wildly to respond in your future that has abolished my choice to have screens of different sizes, some virtual & some actual.
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I think you will be left behind then ;) also it’s not out of the realm of possibility... in fact it is the future. Technology is almost there. And modes of input don’t just include waving your hand. You could type on a virtual keyboard with camera tracking
 
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Rogifan said:
Except you have to wear something on your face all the time. No thanks.
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Will he like glasses in a few iterations... won’t be any bulky oculus VR. Mainly because Apple has a huge hardware development budget
 
trip1ex said:
i'd be shocked if this happens in a few months and even more shocked if it is a big hit.

I just don't see the use case of the average person. to me it would be more of a hi-end professional development device or aspirational device. the person with money to blow would have it as his house and have a few cool things to show off on it to company. and then it would sit in a drawer.
Click to expand...

Not this generation, but VR is potential TV replacement for me.

I have an Oculus Quest 2, it's a nice device for the odd gaming session / light workout. I'd love the device to be good enough to watch films on, etc but none of the devices are there yet. They are, however, a lot better than the Samsung Gear VR I remember using.

A lot of the devices sell badly because they are expensive and require an even more expensive PC to run them. So you need a niche gamer PC to buy a niche device... The Oculus Quest solved that (the Facebook part puts people off) and Apple could do the same with A? or M? chips.

The displays need another resolution bump and an increase in FOV -- this can be done now, but the cost would be prohibitive. Once that's done, the only issue remaining would be the weight, which will take some time. So this is one area where the Apple "slim as possible" meme wouldn't go amiss!
 
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alpi123 said:
Uhh, would you just walk around with a VR headset on your head? In public? How is that better than carrying a phone or a watch
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AR headset. It overlays info onto reality.

Set notifications, map guidance, whatever as you walk and relative to your absolute position. See the path virtually on the ground in front of you, arrows pointing to your destination. Games using your physical context. Menu specials on the door to the restaurant you’re considering. Work data covering a sphere around you, not just a small rectangle fixed in front. Real-world ad blocking.

And the killer app everyone hates and everyone will want: instant identification of everyone you walk by. No more “seems familiar...”, full ID and last meeting reminder, etc.
 
Aeronauts said:
The apps and technologies have been there for a while and had Luke warm sales at best. Look at the PlayStation headset.
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Way too much friction in each case. I dabbled in VR in the ’90s - amazing potential, but always just to much in the way and to little groundwork for broad adoption, at too high entry cost.

Enter Apple ecosystem. Put on a lightweight AR headset and you’re instantly in what you already stare at for hours a day. That tiny phone screen now scaled all around. Notifications are just... right there. Games are immersive. Maps laid out on reality (“turn here” pointing at the intersection itself). Social media a running stream (If you’re so addicted). Face recognition telling you who everyone is. ... and that’s before app developers really run with it.
 
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jefhai said:
I think you will be left behind then ;) also it’s not out of the realm of possibility... in fact it is the future. Technology is almost there. And modes of input don’t just include waving your hand. You could type on a virtual keyboard with camera tracking
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Lol, I have a pretty vivid imagination… also, I’ve been steeped in technology for decades.
I often marvel at where we are at and fantasize about our awesome more ”tech-enabled” future.
My son is a computer science grad student now as well, so I get to hear about the latest bleeding edge AI issues currently being worked on every time he comes back from a symposium.
I pat myself lightly on the back whenever I correctly posit the next big fad, or whatever.
I’ve never considered myself some kind of futurist, being able to perfectly predict what’s going to come to pass… but I’ll hand it to you sir- compared to your guesses, I now think I could consider myself nearly clairvoyant! =)
 
Apple has succeeded before of revolutionising a product: Mobile hone, tablets, smartwatches, music players,.... Let's give Apple a chance with this one as well. At least I am optimistic until proven otherwise. If it works as your private screen, is light weight and cheap enough - it will work out fine.
 
Zorori said:
Not this generation, but VR is potential TV replacement for me.

I have an Oculus Quest 2, it's a nice device for the odd gaming session / light workout. I'd love the device to be good enough to watch films on, etc but none of the devices are there yet. They are, however, a lot better than the Samsung Gear VR I remember using.

A lot of the devices sell badly because they are expensive and require an even more expensive PC to run them. So you need a niche gamer PC to buy a niche device... The Oculus Quest solved that (the Facebook part puts people off) and Apple could do the same with A? or M? chips.

The displays need another resolution bump and an increase in FOV -- this can be done now, but the cost would be prohibitive. Once that's done, the only issue remaining would be the weight, which will take some time. So this is one area where the Apple "slim as possible" meme wouldn't go amiss!
Click to expand...
Apple has the money and engineering skill to pull off what other VR manufacturers have failed to do. Specifically Apple has its custom silicone which puts it on a unique position. They just have to contract some very high end displays. I think Apple will ultimately deliver a better product than Facebook ever could. In fact I believe Apples VR will kill the quest and rival the PS VR
 
I'm very interested in seeing what apple brings to the VR table. Will have to be something special for me to bite on the first iteration. It almost certainly won't be compatible with MS Flight Simulator so that will probably be the dealbreaker for me. Plus I learned my lesson on the original iphone. Didn't buy my first ipad until 2015 and I'm glad I waited. Still don't have an apple watch, but maybe someday.
 
jefhai said:
Looking towards the future AR/VR glasses will replace screens you would otherwise have... as a video editor or developer you would stare at a wall and edit with your hands or Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

with really good AR VR glasses no one will buy screens again. The whole family will just have prescription glasses
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You mean something like this?

VR.gif
 
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I think they should announce it virtually [heh].
Then give a date where people can get hands-on with it
at a full reveal during an in-person live Apple Event.
People would be selling their souls to get a ticket to that one ....
🙂👍🏻♥️
 
ctdonath said:
Way too much friction in each case. I dabbled in VR in the ’90s - amazing potential, but always just to much in the way and to little groundwork for broad adoption, at too high entry cost.

Enter Apple ecosystem. Put on a lightweight AR headset and you’re instantly in what you already stare at for hours a day. That tiny phone screen now scaled all around. Notifications are just... right there. Games are immersive. Maps laid out on reality (“turn here” pointing at the intersection itself). Social media a running stream (If you’re so addicted). Face recognition telling you who everyone is. ... and that’s before app developers really run with it.
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At what point do you take the headset off and throw up? This sounds great but in reality it would be horrible to use.
 
rp2011 said:
Yep, and this device will be far more dependent on third party software for it to be truly successful. The sooner they get this in the hands of developers the better. Though it does pose a risk of competitors getting tipped off on Apple’s plans and technologies.
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The poor implementation of Metal by developers, isn’t a good sign for these...
 
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