TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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The sad reality is. Knowing it's from Apple, I'm going to be the first in line to pre-order it. Watch out!
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Apple's AR/VR Headset Nearing Completion as Board Gets Demo
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Especially considering this a launch device for a new category, maybe they can fetch $3k from their deeper pocketed early adopters. I’m certain they have data that indicates the max price point they can launch with and still sell enough to cover R&D by whatever % they target. It’s Apple, ffs. They are masters at this part.
That said, $3k seems steep - even for Apple. And way out of my budget - and I’m one of the seemingly few who is actually interested in Apple’s take on this segment. Neighbors have an Occulus. While I have zero FB anything in my life, it was pretty cool. It helped me understand the potential for the platform in an Apple ecosystem. At one point - and anyone who knows me knows go crazy this is - I actually considered surprising the kids with one. But I’m waiting to see what Apple does (again, I’d never get anything tied to FB). And if it does end up launching at $3k, we will not be jumping in.
Personally, I think the $3k figure is a plant to get peeps so worked up that when they eventually launch at $1999, it’ll seem like “a steal!” I’m guessing the actual launch day price will be closer to $1499 (and would welcome a sub-$1k price point). Interested to see how this plays out.
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People probably said the same thing about smartphones when the iPhone first debuted, and look at how indispensable they are to our daily lives right now.
said:People probably said the same thing about smartphones when the iPhone first debuted, and look at how indispensable they are to our daily lives right now.
Doubt 3k$ is the actual price. But..if released with a killer App...or better yet: a killer GAME? ....sky would be the limit.
Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and could see a debut in the not too distant future, reports Bloomberg. Apple has also ramped up development of the software that runs on the headset, with that software expected to be called "RealityOS," or rOS for short.
Work on a headworn AR/VR device has been ongoing for years now, and Apple's first product is believed to be a hybrid headset that has a curved visor and a soft mesh that fits against the face. It is expected to have an Apple Watch-like strap to hold it in place, and Apple is aiming to make it lighter and more comfortable than other AR/VR headsets that are on the market.
It will feature two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, powerful processors equivalent to the M-series chips, eye tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, spatial audio, and other features. When it launches, the headset is expected to cost somewhere around $3,000.
Apple has reportedly been working to release the headset since 2019 but there have been multiple delays in 2020, 2021, and now, 2022. Apple has been dealing with issues such as overheating and problems with the camera and the software, which has caused the debut date to be pushed back several times.
Bloomberg suggests that we could see the AR/VR headset as early as the end of the year, though a consumer release isn't planned until 2023.
The AR/VR headset will be Apple's first major new product category since the Apple Watch that came out seven years ago in 2015. Apple is expected to follow the AR/VR headset with a second-generation version and a set of augmented reality smart glasses that are going to launch sometime around 2024.
Article Link: Apple's AR/VR Headset Nearing Completion as Board Gets Demo
How do you know if you want it when you haven’t even tried or seen it yet? You also shouldn’t speak for everyone.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I have no doubt that this will include gaming things... simply because that's mostly what consumer versions of this kind of thing does now. Hopefully some select third parties are already developing such games and those parties are incentivized to create something much better than some of what is out there.
However, I tend to find it easier to imagine a price much higher than stuff like Oculus and thus I think gaming will be to this like gaming is to Mac... definitely something that is available but Mac is more suited to other stuff. I suspect the other stuff for this will be as relatively great as the other stuff on Macs is relative to Mac gaming in general. I suspect it MUST be like that to be priced at a big Apple multiple above the "norms" of existing players.
Because of that kind of thinking, I can imagine $3K as real and imagine some of that stuff I shared previously flipping the current view of the insanity of $3K into a conceptual "bargain."
For (another) example, what if the iMac "Bigger" is inside of this thing... and that iMac has whatever size of screen you need at any given point in time? How much would iMac fans have paid for- say- 32" iMac? $3K doesn't look so high in that context. How much would they pay for 50" iMac? What if 24", 27", 32", 38", 50" and any other sized iMac is IN there?
Now, I'm not crazy. Can they really get virtual "whole" Macs working through this kind of device? Can our fingers type on a keyboard that is not actually there, use a mouse, track pad (or direct hand gestures?) that is really just any given surface (table, desk, tray table, floor, coffee table, etc)? Can it look "about as real" as the real thing? Will eyes fatigue from using virtual iMac much faster than real iMac? There's PLENTY of questions... and plenty of room for doubts about such wild ideas.
However, if this thing can deliver an alternate "reality" that is convincingly "real", then maybe we can indeed have anything else Apple makes usable in there... which means our working space can actually be ANYWHERE... and we can work or play on ANY Apple device at ANY time and ANYwhere. Personally, I just spent >$6K on a new Mac and >$2K on a new monitor to pair to it. Both are basically stuck in one place (my desk) for likely their entire useful life. What if both could be in rOS? They then double as a most powerful (ever) MBpro too, iPad, iPhone, etc. They offer any size screen(s) as needed. Upgrades are dynamic to "latest & greatest." If China shut down production forever, virtual Apple everything is always in stock. Etc.
Now mix in everything else that we do that is not tied to Macs, iPhone, iPad, etc. How much of that could be in there too?
I would like front row tickets to that concert when the band is in <distant location>. I do want to be front row center for every game without having to pay upwards of $25K-$100K+ for a whole season. I would like to feel like I am vacationing in <most desirable place you can imagine> without actually leaving home. Gain full control what we see and what we hear and an imagination can run wild.
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That’s cool. I get that.
I’m guessing you aren’t their intended target with this device/platform - which is cool. While I’m not at all in the $3k bracket, I haven’t been as curious about an unreleased Apple product since the ‘07 iPhone.
Ha. Replying to myself. Neat.
What if there is two launch day price points: one is headset-only, the other is a headset + Airpod Max 2 bundle and that’s where this $3k number is coming from. Or maybe these truckers are just $3k. Suck it up, early adopters.🤪
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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I'll be the first one to order it though. Please see post:
Actually, I've seen it and tried it. It's just a fancier version of this.
Google Cardboard – Google VR
Turn your smartphone into a virtual reality viewer that’s simple, fun, and affordable.
arvr.google.com
$14.95 in Amazon + free shipping.
Official Google Cardboard
Bring virtual reality to life with Google cardboard. Using your smartphone and very apps, this quality viewer puts the world of very right in your hands, affordably. Immersive experience: step into stunning environments that stretch all around you. No matter where you look, it's as if you're real...
www.amazon.com
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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I agree with you 100%. But this is AR/VR totally different market. Everyone needs a cellphone. Not everyone needs an AR/VR. Purely niche market.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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I got you, LOL! $14.95 + Free Shipping
Official Google Cardboard
Bring virtual reality to life with Google cardboard. Using your smartphone and very apps, this quality viewer puts the world of very right in your hands, affordably. Immersive experience: step into stunning environments that stretch all around you. No matter where you look, it's as if you're real...
www.amazon.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
They are very, very different.I'll be the first one to order it though. Please see post:
Actually, I've seen it and tried it. It's just a fancier version of this.
Google Cardboard – Google VR
Turn your smartphone into a virtual reality viewer that’s simple, fun, and affordable.
$14.95 in Amazon + free shipping.
Official Google Cardboard
Bring virtual reality to life with Google cardboard. Using your smartphone and very apps, this quality viewer puts the world of very right in your hands, affordably. Immersive experience: step into stunning environments that stretch all around you. No matter where you look, it's as if you're real...www.amazon.com
This is like comparing a PDA to a smartphone. A calculator to a computer. A flipbook to a TV.
Google Cardboard gives almost no indication of what the true potential of a VR/AR device is.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Shouldn’t it get rendered on a person wearing AirPods/ AirPods Max at the same time? Assuming the AR/VR experience will include audio. They must consider this mix of head gear in their design choices ?
Hopefully they all thought it was a crap idea like the rest of us.
Funnily enough Apple wouldn't have existed, at least not as successfully, had the execs at HP accepted Steve Wozniak's proposal to make a computer for the home.
So he made Apple with Steve.
If Apple's execs don't like it, someone else will do it and reap the benefits.
And of course they'll like it if it works. Tim Cook thinks AR will be bigger than the iPhone.
I have Sony PS4 VR headset. It’s ok and has some cool experiences but my kids ended up not using it very often. Maybe it’s just the hassle of dealing with it but it never was a favorite.
I understand AR is going to be the future but VR just has not been that interesting.
I understand AR is going to be the future but VR just has not been that interesting.
It's going to be fun going back to this thread after Apple's AR/VR device has been on the market for a few months.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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I suspect $3,000 is actually accurate for a price point (Maybe give or take ~$500). Apple knows the target demographic for this product, and it’s not really made for the average consumer at that price point. This is aimed for a specific group of people who want to experience technology moving forward in the professional sector and/or for entertainment purposes. I also suspect there will be highly limited number of units made prior to launch, especially given how various components are limited in manufacturing currently.
Or like the "Who wanted a 1,000 songs in their pocket?" iPod. Or, "Who asked for a glass keyboard on a mobile phone?" iPhone. Or, "a tablet is just a giant mobile phone" iPad. Or those dorky looking AirPods - who's going to pay that kind of money?
There's so many commercial applications for AR. I suspect that will be Apple's largest market initially.
Again... I'm looking forward to coming back to this thread and pulling quotes after Apple releases their device and has been on the market for a few months.
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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Good point. The biggest challenge would be. Apple has to convince people to put the AR/VR headset around their face. Cover their eyes/ears. I suspect you can't have it on for too long as it will get very uncomfortable. Tough call!
Who's responsible if you get an eye infection?
