Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

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

now i see it said:
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.
Click to expand...
You just combined VR and AR into the same thing, which they are not. AR is "augmenting" which could enhance our personal interactions with other people. Virtual reality is a replacement of reality. Very different things.

pmiles said:
I wear glasses. I have to. And believe me, I can't wait until I can take them off every single day. The last thing I would ever do is put on a pair for "entertainment".

I can say with absolute certainty, I am not alone in my thinking. So niche this will remain.
Click to expand...
I suppose it comes down to the benefit you receive. If I could do all of the things I can do with my iPhone and Apple Watch without carrying them around, I would definitely do that!! But since I can't I choose to charge and carry my iPhone and charge and wear my Apple Watch. If the benefits aren't enough to justify wearing a headset (glasses or otherwise) people won't. But if they are enough, they will.

Lounge vibes 05 said:
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.
Click to expand...

I might be wrong but hasn't it been at least a decade since any big product reveal was done at WWDC? I think Apple just stopped doing that. The iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch were not launched at the WWDC and I don't think the new AR device would be either. If it is going to have any part of the WWDC in 2022 they would need to announce it at a spring event. I do think it is reasonable that they would not do a fall announcement of the device because it likely wouldn't go on sale immediately. So they could announce it in the Spring, have WWDC focus in the summer and start selling it in the fall. I just think there is a slim chance of an announcement AT the WWDC for the device.
 
CrazyForCashews said:
What's the actual use of something like this?

Like watch movies as if you're in a cinema or something?
Click to expand...
Sure amoung other things. Basically replace all other devices and enable things not possible on any other device. I would expect the first version to be more for developers and creators.
 
nwcs said:
Like so many of these products it makes for a great demo but little inroads into usefulness.
Click to expand...
Yep, I just can't see a compelling use case, beyond the usual games and porn. But then again, I still can't see a compelling use case for an Apple Watch, so maybe I'll be in the minority.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nwcs
I don't see any evidence of AR headset development "mirroring" the period before Apple Watch launch. This article mentions only that the number of patent filings is similar. That hardly equates to "development" mirroring that of Apple Watch. In fact, there is no obvious reason to equate the two.
 
sideshowuniqueuser said:
Yep, I just can't see a compelling use case, beyond the usual games and porn. But then again, I still can't see a compelling use case for an Apple Watch, so maybe I'll be in the minority.
Click to expand...
Same on Apple Watch! I finally broke down and bought a Series 7 (my first) so I can give it a chance. So far, it's about what I expected - not very useful. I had to give it a try tho. I did the same thing with an iPad back in 2015...I tossed that after a few months - still can't figure out how it's useful to anyone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sideshowuniqueuser and Lerenard3000
Lounge vibes 05 said:
Yes they absolutely did, and you can see it for yourself on this exact website.
Go to the Mac Rumors archive, go to 2006 or 2007 when rumors about the iPhone were just floating around or right after it was first announced, and bask in the absolute hilarity of the comments.
Click to expand...
I mean, who would ever buy a phone without a physical keyboard?! ;)
 
metapunk2077fail said:
I can't see people using it for more than a couple of hours without feeling horrible when taking it off. It especially ****s up my hair and my hair is short to begin with. I end up having a dent in my hair where the strap fits. It's not cool to need a shower and blow dry after using VR just to get your hair shape back to normal.
Click to expand...
Okayyyy...so now I'm happy with #2 razor and thinning hair for 2 reasons...the above AND being able to wash my head really fast at WDW when I go in the summer. ?

metapunk2077fail said:
The way this is being pitched 'You'll be able to live and work in it' that's just dishonest marketing and completely bogus. You cannot do a full working day in this. You cannot spend meaningful productive time such as 5 hours or more a day. It's pointless when you can do just about everything work task better in front of a normal screen.
Click to expand...
Yeah, completely agree. That concept is just ridiculous. WHY would you want to work with it on!?!?! I'm good with them saying this is a "preview concept" of working in VR. This reminds me of the ppl who have apps to replace EVERY task that exists. It's a rabbit hole. Sometimes, it's easier to write a grocery list on the way out the door on...PAPER! It can also be easier to just pull a boarding pass out of your pocket instead of puling out the phone, double clicking - selecting the pass.

Ya know what would be cool - bringing back the BTTF ride in Oculus form.

Lastly, thanks for calling it an Oculus. You can tell here who doesn't have one...no Oculus owners are calling it "Meta" - that's so NOT meta.
 
  • Like
Reactions: metapunk2077fail
johnmarki said:
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. ? ?
Click to expand...
Yeah, a "holy grail", of sorts, would be self-correcting lenses that can adjust the light through the eyeballs into the retina. That'd crush Luxotica, Ray-Ban, and others, but ...meh. This won't be doable, I imagine, without FDA or something.

Folks like me who have to wear corrective lenses of some variety (I choose eyeglasses over contacts) won't be able to use this as "version 1" or even " version 3", if ever. I can't imagine Apple would willfully ignore such a massive potential install base like that. Heck, even Tim wears glasses!

We shall see! (Har har)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TVreporter
metapunk2077fail said:
Yeah. VR will always be very niche and "meta verse" will spawn many fail videos. Fail people and fail bugs in the fail meta verse.

Mixed Reality or AR will have some uses, much more popular than VR, but will be limited to certain use cases. It will be buggy for years, maybe forever, and never have the high fidelity of regular computing unless a wire was fused to your visual cortex to completely replace your vision, which would be stupid and obscene.
Click to expand...
Oh dude I so want that wire!
 
AdamJD said:
Lastly, thanks for calling it an Oculus. You can tell here who doesn't have one...no Oculus owners are calling it "Meta" - that's so NOT meta.
Click to expand...

And I'll keep calling Facebook Facebook. Don't let them whitewash their history and the things they will not stop doing.
 
goobot said:
I can’t see the first gen being that great
Click to expand...

Agreed. I've been stung too many times by first gen products, which are fun for 6 months but lack long term use. Conversely 3rd or 4th gen have the kinks ironed out and have good long term use. Happy to try an Apple headset in a store if it ever comes out. But other than that - I'll let the early adopters resolved all the issues for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: goobot
nwcs said:
Like so many of these products it makes for a great demo but little inroads into usefulness.
Click to expand...
Have you told Apple? They would stop development of this immediate and probably give you a slice of the $billions they will save.
 
Scoob Redux said:
Same on Apple Watch! I finally broke down and bought a Series 7 (my first) so I can give it a chance. So far, it's about what I expected - not very useful. I had to give it a try tho. I did the same thing with an iPad back in 2015...I tossed that after a few months - still can't figure out how it's useful to anyone.
Click to expand...
Ha, same for me for the iPad. Once you're used to the power and openness of macOS, there is no going to something dinky and hamstrung and closed up like iPadOS. Even my preteen son hardly used his iPad all that much, much preferring either his MacBook Air, or the portability of an iPhone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scoob Redux
nwcs said:
They’ll find out soon enough what each of the other true believers found out eventually.
Click to expand...
You should tell them that too. It's not fair that you are withholding from them your knowledge and experience of the market.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back