Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

[PinkyMacGodess]

I bet my life savings this product will be used to view adult content once it's released.

First, I've never found 'adult content' appealing. I had one of those huge satellite dishes decades ago, and found a Playboy Channel 'free week'. I did watch some of their 'content', and ended up laughing at most of it, and cringing at the rest. Vapid plots and vacuous acting. (I got more out of reading a sex scene written by Isaac Asimov)

And with that, all I have to say is 'VHS'... We were supposedly stuck with that inferior format because of 'adult content'.

Sitting here, thinking of a need for a 'mixed reality headset', I can think of a few redeeming uses: Gaming, concerts, maintenance, manufacturing, utilities location, education (like 'seeing' the stars in a place with mile thick clouds), museums (to experience what life might have been like, or make painting/sculptures active).

'Adult content' is a thin niche market (I hope). There are far better uses for that genre of technology.

And we don't even know how much it'll cost yet. $3,000? Oh, a VERY VERY VERY thin niche market...


EDIT: One last comment: 'Google Glasses'!

 

[ProfessionalFan]

If the glasses have a web browser, people will most definitely be watching porn on them. 🤷‍♂️

That's basically been the main seller for every VR/AR/MR (whatever it is called) headset thus far.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

'Adult content' is a thin niche market (I hope).

It isn't, it is a pretty big market. The old saying "Sex sells" is not a fake statement.

 

[JM]

If the glasses have a web browser, people will most definitely be watching porn on them. 🤷‍♂️

Oh derp. Yep forgot about the web browsing.

Okay, revised statement: Apple is NOT rushing this out so people can watch porn.

I would hope. 🤨

 

[name99]

Well, the high price means it is unlikely to be competing with consumer VR headsets such as the PlayStation VR, they have admitted they don’t have a killer app, and launch with limited content. Doesn’t sound like a potential hit product to me.

It is NOT a VR headset, it is an AR headset. Completely different animal with completely different optics.
That's one reason it costs a lot more; but also one reason that it has a lot more promise...

As usual "the internet" thinks only in terms of videogames. This is not for more exciting videogame playing.

 

[JM]

That's basically been the main seller for every VR/AR/MR (whatever it is called) headset thus far.

What amazing times.

😐

“Finally, with the Apple AR goggles, customers can live out their fantasies of sharing special times with their animated cartoon crush* Furries are gonna love it.”

*live being not included.

 

[patent10021]

Timmy so eager beaver to show Mark and Elon that he can be Steve Jobs II.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Oh derp. Yep forgot about the web browsing.

Okay, revised statement: Apple is NOT rushing this out so people can watch porn.

I would hope. 🤨

They need to come up with a market for their device. If they market it right/well, it will not become a 'new sex toy'. It's in the marketing. Meta is running an add showing kids watching Mammoths trudging across ancient tundra. Good use, and in a controlled environment. *shrug*

 

[75Batt]

I think the goal is to have the glasses like product. But, releasing this headset now and allowing the market to figure out its use cases isn’t necessarily a bad approach. I think they want to have a presence in this market now before it booms but believe the consumer glasses product is the product that will do that. All the learnings from this will allow them to do that

 

[JM]

They need to come up with a market for their device. If they market it right/well, it will not become a 'new sex toy'. It's in the marketing. Meta is running an add showing kids watching Mammoths trudging across ancient tundra. Good use, and in a controlled environment. *shrug*

Yes, very true.

Although, the Apple Watch had a very lacking marketing, because it had no visionary direction, and it was only after a year or so that they honed in on the fitness part (it was marketed and designed as a social tool at first it seemed like).

Hopefully they will have a clear marketing and use-case this time around!

I really like the idea about it being marketed to business and hospital use cases. ONLY. Forget the stupid “Memojiiiiiss!!!! 😱😱😱😱😍😍😍”

Forget that crap… make it a device for the real Professionals.

 

[maxoakland]

The prototypes are far too slim. If Sony, the kings of product design can’t make the PSVR2 any slimmer then there is no way Apples device is going to be any better.

I wouldn’t put Sony anywhere near Apple’s hardware design caliber. They’re second rate compared to Apple. It’s software where Apple’s been fumbling but their hardware is better than ever

 

[jz0309]

It is NOT a VR headset, it is an AR headset. Completely different animal with completely different optics.
That's one reason it costs a lot more; but also one reason that it has a lot more promise...

As usual "the internet" thinks only in terms of videogames. This is not for more exciting videogame playing.

And as usual, the “ones in the know” don’t tell us what Joe Consumer is going to with this $3000 headset…

 

[maxoakland]

I think the goal is to have the glasses like product. But, releasing this headset now and allowing the market to figure out its use cases isn’t necessarily a bad approach. I think they want to have a presence in this market now before it booms but believe the consumer glasses product is the product that will do that. All the learnings from this will allow them to do that

This hasn’t been Apple’s way since the 90s. Part of their huge success is they have waited to release products until they’re actually ready. That’s why they’re usually seen as slightly late to the party but their products blow all the others out of the water

This would be a huge divergence from that. Would be like releasing at Apple Watch when it had to be a ton bigger or the iPhone when you still needed to use a stylus

 

[Youth in Asia]

It isn't, it is a pretty big market. The old saying "Sex sells" is not a fake statement.

And to add to this, prostitution is the world's oldest profession.

 

[ceriess]

without a porn component, all of this fails. Time to open iOS to alternate app and content stores. What Apple will never provide, the Dirty Market will.

 

[Manysounds]

Logic and Final Cut windows around me in mixed VR you say?

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Consumers will be the last to understand and embrace the benefits of such a product. Fortune 1000 will have specific use cases from heads up display needs, along with universities expanding the feasibilities of such a product. In five years people will understand this is the augment your workflows in life and something that isn't perpetually on, so consumers will eventually have the capacity to purchase glasses separately or for their prescription lenses in relationships from the likes of RayBan that seem to own most prescription glass frames and lenses currently. Since these items are not essential to living they will for many years be considered luxury feature options for prescription lenses.

 

[TSE]

iPod Turns 18: Here's What People Thought in 2001

Today marks the 18th anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the original iPod at a small event on Apple's Infinite Loop campus. While the iMac...

www.macrumors.com

These replies remind me of how this place responded to the iPod announcement

Name me three scenarios that have mass appeal where VR/AR makes your life easier and/or better.

I can name a hundred with the iPod. Not the same.

 

[CarAnalogy]

lack a clear killer app

Everything else might be ok if not for this. Also if they're calling it uncomfortable that's a big red flag too. In my opinion that's one thing they have to get right that everyone else is still getting wrong.

But without at least one clear and obvious reason to get this, it's going to be riding on Apple's reputation alone and they have been wearing that out a bit lately.

 

[iPhoneFan5349]

If the price point is indeed $3k, then it automatically becomes a specialty/niche product that will not have sufficient user numbers to drive developer interest that could help bring it mainstream. Not that Apple wouldn’t take a chance with a product at this level, but it doesn’t make sense to me.

I would think that there is a much bigger play in getting augmented reality capable glasses produced, that use the iPhone’s processing power to make them work. Reading about how the headset will allow people to do FaceTime calls using avatars just seems awfully stupid. Our iPhones, iPads and MacBooks all allow us to do FaceTime calls where you are yourself, not some computer generated thing.

It has to be a revolutionary product to justify that price. Remember the price of PCs? They costed thousands of dollars 40 years ago and that didn’t stop people from buying them because of what you could accomplish with them. This has to be centered primarily on the business market and also have great killer apps for entertainment. Anyway, nobody is going to spend 3k on a toy, it has to give you some kind of productivity.

 

[CarAnalogy]

There's an order of magnitude price difference between Apple Watch and the rumored price of this product. I don't see how they will conform to a similar demand curve. Series 0 watches were impulse buys for some people at $350. Not many people will squander $3000 on a novelty product.

They really should embrace the Apple Silicon Developer Kit approach to this. Readily admit to everyone that it's not quite ready, but this is what we're doing so developers get your hands on it now and expect a consumer version on the way as soon as you developers make it worth buying.

 

[Benjamins]

I'll believe it when I see it.

when they don't announce it in 2023, those apple analysts will say Tim Cook pulled it last second.

 

[macduke]

I'm convinced that it (meaning AR and/or VR) will work and it will outshine everything. The only thing is that we have to be a bit more patient until the chips (which are already on the roadmap today) are built. When an Apple silicon with 1nm or 0.5nm is available, then such solutions in glasses that can be used for everyday life will flood the market.

You’re assuming we can make chips on a node process that small. 0.2nm is the width of the silicon atoms used in current chip production. You get into really strange quantum tunneling effects at these scales.

It isn't, it is a pretty big market. The old saying "Sex sells" is not a fake statement.

No it’s not even an option. Apple doesn’t allow adult apps or content to be sold on their platforms. You know they’re going to have this thing on lock. They aren’t going to have a big adult market if you have to pay $3000 and then jailbreak it on top of that and then rely on installing shady apps. Not happening until Apple changes their policies which I highly doubt.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

No it’s not even an option

Well you just told me I'm wrong and then went on to explain how but it had nothing to do with my original reply so I am pretty confused.

 

[DownUnderDan]

Its starting to sound like it should be called Apple Pippin VR.