Apple AR Headset 'Approaching Liftoff' as Development Mirrors Period Before Apple Watch Launch

[MacRumors]

Apple's development of its rumored augmented reality (AR) headset is beginning to mirror the period before the launch of the Apple Watch, according to Morgan Stanley analysts.

In a note to investors, seen by Investor's Business Daily, Morgan Stanley analysts explained that after years of building expertise and a number of setbacks, Apple's long-awaited AR headset is "approaching liftoff." This is evidenced by the fact that Apple's AR project is purportedly beginning to match the development of the Apple Watch before its announcement in late 2014.

The company has published a huge number of patents related to augmented reality and virtual reality, including hardware, input mechanisms, and user interfaces. Now, "Apple's patent portfolio is beginning to mirror the period prior to the Watch launch."

Ahead of the Apple Watch's unveiling in 2014, Apple heavily patented the technology behind the device, including iPhone connectivity and sensors, pedometer functionality and step detection, low-power Bluetooth, and more. While MacRumors has been covering many of Apple's patents over a decade, there has been a noticeable uptick in patent filings related to head-mounted displays in recent times.

• Apple's Work on Mixed Reality Headsets Revealed in New Patent Filings

For example, today, Apple was granted a patent for wrist-based devices, such as the Apple Watch, "to produce a virtual representation of the hands or otherwise be used to receive and interpret gestures as user input" in a head-mounted display.

Morgan Stanley highlighted that while Apple has faced difficulties with the development of its AR technology, the project is steadily nearing launch:

The enormity of the technical challenge — compressing daylong battery, 5G, compute, cameras, lidar, projectors and wave guide lenses into a lightweight, attractive pair of glasses — is hard to overstate, but we are approaching liftoff.

The note added that "Apple's entry into the eyewear market will be the game changer for all participants as the technology gets normalized and popularized."

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's "mixed reality" headset will launch in late 2022 to early 2023, with a separate smart glasses device following between 2023 and 2025.

Article Link: Apple AR Headset 'Approaching Liftoff' as Development Mirrors Period Before Apple Watch Launch

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see this thing completely takeover WWDC next year, just like how the original iPhone completely took over MacWorld in 2007.
Especially if all of the software updates for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple TV, and the watch are going to be quite minor.
Could easily see them blasting through that in 30 minutes or so, and then dedicating an entire 90 minutes to these glasses.
And then them launching sometime between December 2022 and April 2023.
Originally I thought that they might announce it at the September event like the first Apple Watch, but I think these will have a major, major focus on developers which the Apple Watch never did, so WWDC would be the perfect opportunity.

 

[Cosmosent]

This is an area where consumers are gonna see the benefits of Competition !

Meta vs Apple !

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Looks like it will be released next year. I’m not sure what the demand looks like

 

[nwcs]

Like so many of these products it makes for a great demo but little inroads into usefulness.

 

[Cosmosent]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see this thing completely takeover WWDC next year, just like how the original iPhone completely took over MacWorld in 2007.
Especially if all of the software updates for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple TV, and the watch are going to be quite minor.
Could easily see them blasting through that in 30 minutes or so, and then dedicating an entire 90 minutes to these glasses.
And then them launching sometime between December 2022 and April 2023.
Originally I thought that they might announce it at the September event like the first Apple Watch, but I think these will have a major, major focus on developers which the Apple Watch never did, so WWDC would be the perfect opportunity.

Any App Dev who develops for Apple's AR Headset will ALSO, almost certainly, develop for Meta's AR Headset !

BIG difference vs ANY other market Apple has ever tried to get into !

Zuck will do whatever Meta needs to do try to dominate the market !

I'm NOT sure we've seen that before in ANY area Apple has competed !

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This is an area where consumers are gonna see the benefits of Competition !

Meta vs Apple !

You are talking about this guy?

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Tim has stated over and over that AR/VR/MR is “critical” to Apple and he is its #1 fan. Can only imagine the amount of capital went into this over the many many years. 2022 looks like it’s finally here.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Any App Dev who develops for Apple's AR Headset will ALSO, almost certainly, develop for Meta's AR Headset !

BIG difference vs ANY other market Apple has ever tried to get into !

Zuck will do whatever Meta needs to do try to dominate the market !

I'm NOT sure we've seen that before in ANY area Apple has competed !

I don’t think so.
No matter what Mark Zuckerberg does, Facebook will always be Facebook.
They’ve tried to get into their own devices before, their own phones, now their own headset technology, and it didn’t go well.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Like so many of these products it makes for a great demo but little inroads into usefulness.

That’s exactly what they said about smartphones

 

[AmazeSE]

I can't wait. Other companies have made their own VR/AR devices but Apple's implementation is gonna be the best.

 

[Serban55]

So presentation at WWDC or September event, with release date 6 months later

 

[ratspg]

VR/AR is coming..... fast. Sigh. Anybody wants to get together in the REAL universe, instead of the metaverse, just hit me up, lol.

 

[Serban55]

Like so many of these products it makes for a great demo but little inroads into usefulness.

apple watch saved my father life...what are you talking about....apple watch, from health/safety point of view is far more useful even compared to an iphone or ipad/mac

 

[Asarien]

I can't wait to live in a world where I pay hefty amounts to be shown virtual ads, literally every time I turn my head.

 

[alpi123]

That’s exactly what they said about smartphones

Erm, although I agree with you, this case is not exactly the same. I doubt people would want to have a huge headset mounted on their heads all the time...

Apple Glasses, on the other hand, could easily become the next Apple Watch (sadly they're even further away from being announced, maybe this AR/VR headset will set the ground for the Apple Glasses)

 

[JM]

If these are NOT goggles, and are actually AR devices that look similar to a pair of glasses…..

?????????

 

[johnmarki]

Please believe me, I'm all for something new from Apple. But I find it hard to believe that Apple would create hardware that can't be used as a tool, or supplement for utilitarian use. I personally think this may be an internal device used to test and develop the actual hardware of AR eyeglasses that will be the final, "release" product. I can be entirely wrong and this would be the device that hits the market first, and then, the eyeglasses follow. It just seems a little out of the norm for the Apple I've come to know. Long story short: I desperately want AR eyeglasses. 🤓 😂

 

[iZac]

I’m torn between the upcoming PSVR 2 and the Apple VR and I don’t even know anything about them yet!

 

[timber]

So Apple is finally getting into the scuba diving market.

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

This needs to be a watershed type moment. A truly classic Apple thing. Where they take what others have done, distill it down to its greatest things and WOW everyone. I'm talking iPod, iPhone, type stuff. Although the new M1 Pro/Max is quite incredible, PR for it seems rather light compared to the old days. Really thought they would have hammered everyone more about how truly ground breaking the tech/speeds/battery are.

 

[california_kid]

But the most important question from Apple fans - How many different headband designs will be available at launch and will there be a Hermes line?

 

[topdrawer]

this will never be a thing.

 

[Marbles1]

Imagine how successful this product would have been if it had came out 2 months into covid lockdown with good collaboration tools?

And on a separate note - what will be the actually purpose of this product ? Apple have been historically awful on gaming and they're prudish on pornography - two of the biggest use cases for a VR or AR headset.

What will people use an Apple headset for? browsing their photos? Apple don't have a 'killer app' do they?

 

[now i see it]

This will fizzle just like AR has.
There’s going to be plenty of hype around this for sure - the media outlets will be gushing, but when the blast wave recedes, it’ll just be another VR headset that few people but gamers might be interested in.

From a CEO who’s publicly stated several times that people should be interacting with each other more and not living behind an iPhone / I can’t see this diving mask VR display as being something he’d be very enthusiastic about.