Apple Headset's Capabilities Said to 'Far Exceed' Those of Rival Devices

[Unami]

I just realized this might be the first true "pro" product in a new category from Apple since quite some time.

They probably need to bring it out now, before it gets "stale" and after they've invested considerable ressources into it. Get it into the hands of developers and people who can explore it's potential and create an eco-system before the technology gets "there" for a cheaper mass market product.

It will be interesting how that pans out as they'll probably need to show an openness and support that's contrary to their usual corporate culture. After all, at the rumored price point it competes with the holo-lens. That's a different target audience with different needs and more access to the technology than the average consumer.

 

[dumastudetto]

I will definitely be purchasing. I’m expecting it to have massive back orders, especially with many developers wanting to get their hands on it. Knowing what the early days of iPhone and iPad development was like, there will be some big opportunities.

I totally agree. This will drive a new gold rush for savvy developers who realise the size and scope of opportunity.

 

[The Game 161]

$1,499 maybe five years after the release of the first generation. $2,499 is possible.

1499 could be the price in say 1-2 years from the sounds off rumours.

 

[kfireven]

It's a headset rumor again.. let the party begin

 

[Unami]

There are actually laws regarding personal image rights in some countries, in which the image of a person is considered to be intellectual property.

Actually, a right to one's own image is recognized as part of article 8 of human rights, so there's laws about that in most of the world. That usually doesn't mean, you can't make private images of a person in public space, you just can't make money with them or release them to the public (although most people don't care about uploading photos of bystanders on instagram,... illegaly - but usually noone cares)

 

[kfireven]

They need a killer app to make it successful but what is that? If you look at the other VR headsets they are usually novelty gifts on Christmas Day put in a drawer to never be reused.

What was the killer app of the first iPhone? the Blackberry did the same things..
What is the killer app of an iPad? the PC/Mac can do all of it and more.

It's - a - new - computer - platform.

 

[klasma]

It's not VR, it's mixed reality or AR. HUGE difference. This isn't for gamers to spend a couple hours a week in weird novelty games (imo, VR will never take off for gaming outside of driving/flight sims because of the lack of real world movement space in the average home). It's to replace every screen you own with an entire paradigm shift. Properly executed an AR headset is a larger sea change than the smartphone in how humans interact with computers. I am so shocked by how many people don't see the power to replace every screen you own and fundamentally reshape your perception of reality as a big deal. When the tech matures, you'll be able to walk on a treadmill at the gym but really believe you're hiking kilamajaro. then go home and watch IMAX quality movies from your bedroom. You'll be able to change the colors of other people's clothes, reshape the skyline of your city, turn any wall into a collaborative whiteboard for an impromptu brainstorming session. And so much more.

Think back 15+ years to the time when doing the things we do with our smartphones on a daily basis (messaging, media playback, photography and videography, web browsing, directions, and more) took half a dozen devices that cost 10s of thousands of dollars. And even then the experience was 1/10th of what a new iPhone can do.

This headset is likely more the Newton than the iPhone, but there's no doubt in my mind that AR is THE killer app to kill all apps. It will change the world and your perception of reality more than anything humans have ever invented if someone can pull off a good AR system.

Personally, an AR headset that can replace my existing screens for only $3k is a savings day one -- it replaces 2 monitors, 2 TVs, an iPad an iPhone and an Apple Watch, not to mention the screen on my MBP, and my various sets of headphones. All of that would be replaced with a headset plus "compute module," or headless laptop.

I don't expect to buy this 1.0 headset. I won't be surprised if functional AR is a decade plus out, but it's blindingly obvious to me that AR is the current holy grail, the way the late 80s-late 2000s were dedicated to creating what became the modern smartphone, the next 10-20 years will be about creating the AR headset as primary computing form factor.

There are serious roadblocks to AR/VR becoming visually close to or indistinguishable from reality, like for example the vergence-accomodation conflict. I don’t see how those issues can be fully solved physically. A brain implant almost seems more realistic. My feeling is that reality-like AR won’t be happening within the next 20-30 years, if ever.

 

[kfireven]

No offense to anyone here, but online forums often make me want to go out and interact with live human beings and make new friends... 😏 (Not that anyone is not a human being here...)

Saying that might make me a bot!

Joking aside, I'm not sure why anyone would bother wearing VR glasses or goggles in public places like that, unless it gave them some much-needed assistance that they normally couldn't have without them, and they didn't mind looking like a fool and looking at the world through a filter. If the technology really slims down to the point where it's unnoticeable, I'm sure its popularity in the public eye will increase.

Isn't it a little frightening to think that people who are wearing those things might be able to instantly scan you as they walk by you, and quickly call up all relevant social profiles? I can see that future coming eventually, once the technology makes it possible. Creepier and creepier. We can of course snap photos of people with our smartphones and do image searches on them now, but it's not as easy, and it's very easily noticed. I wouldn't dare.

I'm still sure I would not wear them, and it's not for me. Would rather see the world outside through my own eyes. Maybe there are medical and technical professionals who will benefit from this, though. For instance, surgeries, car repairs and home maintenance and so on. Like any technology, it will have its benefits to society, and also some drawbacks and scary implications to deal with.

Anyone the wears glasses look like a fool? what's the problem with wearing glasses?

Or maybe only those that wear glasses that have a miniature AR projector in them are fools?

 

[jchap]

Anyone the wears glasses look like a fool? what's the problem with wearing glasses?

Or maybe only those that wear glasses that have a miniature AR projector in them are fools?

Sorry, I was thinking more about the bulky goggles.

Anyway, I concede your point. Feel free to wear the Apple VR headset wherever you like. (Not that you needed my approval 😌)

 

[amaze1499]

Not sure what the killer app for this will be. At that price a killer app will be mandatory.

Apple TV+ and Siri. Those are killers.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Sorry, this isn't going to be mainstream successful because most people aren't going to be walking around with this on their face. You want it to really work? Make their size as close to regular glasses as possible. Unfortunately, that's not possible with current technology.

Look up Big Picture. Those are quite small, but they’re tethered to a PC. I believe custom making the device for the user means a lot of optical adjustment hardware can be removed.

 

[DarthDon]

It lacks the bluetooth snorkel

 

[kfireven]

Absolutely ZERO chance that the Apple Glasses can take a picture.

Only overlay info. Will never be able to record.

Google found out the hard (but obvious in retrospect) way that you can’t sell a product that lets people take discrete photos.

You will never ever see an image that comes out of the camera of these. Never see an Apple-gate article about somebody with these in a locker room, etc.

And for good reason.

It's already solved.. there will be a led light indicator whenever the headset's camera is operational, so the surroundings will be aware.
It was the same story with a smartphone camera, and Japan enforced a law that there will be a sound effect when a smartphone photo is taken.
There will be regulations and laws about privacy obviously.

 

[DarthDon]

I'll wait for the iGlasses SE

 

[DarthDon]

Sorry, this isn't going to be mainstream successful because most people aren't going to be walking around with this on their face. You want it to really work? Make their size as close to regular glasses as possible. Unfortunately, that's not possible with current technology.

imagine the battery...

 

[panjandrum]

The device definitely need a better name though. I was thinking that the:

Apple Stereoscopic Simulation Hat

has a nice ring to it. 🤔


(I jest, I'm a fan of VR and excited by advancements in the field.)

 

[samlikesmac]

There are serious roadblocks to AR/VR becoming visually close to or indistinguishable from reality, like for example the vergence-accomodation conflict. I don’t see how those issues can be fully solved physically. A brain implant almost seems more realistic. My feeling is that reality-like AR won’t be happening within the next 20-30 years, if ever.

If you read further in the article, there is discussion about current solutions to the problem. They are rumored to be using these mitigating techniques already with the stacked lenses and eye tracking so it may be a non-issue.

 

[steve09090]

What was the killer app of the first iPhone? the Blackberry did the same things..
What is the killer app of an iPad? the PC/Mac can do all of it and more.

It's - a - new - computer - platform.

iPhone was having all of your music in your pocket, on your iPhone.
iPad was having a good sized screen to watch content. YouTube etc. right when YouTube really exploded.

 

[MuppetGate]

Rumor is around 3 grand.

“Rumor” you say … 🤔

 

[bobcomer]

Not buying a first gen product.

Not buying a VR/AR product here...

 

[nt5672]

I can see a number of business use cases, but Apple dumped on the business market years ago.

I can see a number of gaming use cases, but Apple dumped on the gaming market years ago.

I can see a number of scientific use cases, but Apple dumped on the scientific market years ago.

I think I see a pattern here!

 

[NY Guitarist]

I'm curious as to what will finally be revealed but I just can't help seeing this:

 

[newyorksole]

I am extremely excited to see this thing and for WWDC in general, but I just can’t fathom what this is actually going to be like lol.

I have never used an AR or VR headset and all this talk of cameras and sensors etc just doesn’t allow me to imagine what it’s actually going to be like.

I need a demo asap.

 

[Vjosullivan]

The bigger the impact, the more they split.

The more they split, they further they spread.

 

[Malus120]

For $3000 (in this economy no less) its capabilities damn well better 'Far Exceed' those of rival devices. Because otherwise I think it's just going to be dead in the water.

But even if it does... Every time I think about the Apple headset I keep coming back to Steve's iPad introduction where he says "in order to really create a new category of devices, those devices are gonna have to be far better at doing some key tasks, some really important things," and I just don't know how Apple's headset is going to do that.

What is it going to do better than a Mac? An iPhone? An iPad? A Playstation 5 with a PSVR2? All of those failed Windows AR headsets (ok this last one maybe isn't that hard.)

I want them to show me , and that's why I'm looking forward to WWDC. But it's a tall order to fill and I don't know if Tim's Apple (or even just existing VR/AR tech) is up to the task...