Apple's AR/VR Headset Said to Feature Digital Crown, Waist-Mounted Battery Pack, and More

[Mike WA4D]

Apple's mixed-reality headset will feature a physical dial for switching to a view of the real-world, a waist-mounted battery pack, small motors to automatically adjust its lenses, and much more, according to The Information.

Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo​

The paywalled report purports to reveal a broad range of previously unheard-of specific features for the headset, including:

• A waist-mounted battery, connected via a magnetic, MagSafe-like power cable to the headset's headband. One battery charge lasts no longer than two hours, but users can swap the battery out for longer sessions.
• A design that uses aluminum, glass, and carbon fiber to reduce its size and weight. Cameras are largely concealed for aesthetic reasons.
• A small, Digital Crown-like dial on its right side that enables users to quickly transition between the virtual and physical world. Unlike the Apple Watch, it will not offer haptic feedback.
• Apple has developed different headbands, including one for consumers made of a similar material to Apple Watch sport bands with built-in speakers, and one targeted at developers.
• Magnetically attachable custom prescription lenses for glasses-wearers.
• Small motors to automatically adjust its internal lenses to match the wearer's interpupillary distance, providing the largest field of view possible for each individual.
• A 120-degree field of view, like the Valve Index – more than the Meta Quest Pro's 106-degree field of view.
• The H2 chip for ultra-low latency connection with the second-generation AirPods Pro and future AirPods models.
• Two chips, including a main SoC, including a CPU, GPU, and memory, and a dedicated image signal processor. Both are fabricated with a 5nm process, meaning that the headset misses out on advancements expected to come to other Apple chips later this year. The chips communicate via a custom streaming codec that Apple was forced to develop due to unacceptable latency.
• The dedicated ISP translates the distorted images captured by the external cameras into a faithful video representation of the user's surroundings with low latency. The chip contains custom high-bandwidth memory made by SK Hynix.
• The ability to run existing iOS apps in 2D.

Third-party Bluetooth headphones apparently do not work well with the headset and suffer from too much lag, and there is no 3.5mm headphone jack on the device. Apple has focused on making recent and future AirPods models work with low-latency when paired with the headset. Both the second-generation AirPods Pro and the headset contain the H2 chip, which is said to offer an "ultra-low-latency" mode when paired together. Apple has also purpotedly debated whether AirPods should be mandatory for communication activities on the headset to better protect privacy.

Early prototypes of the headset used large external batteries designed for power tools strapped to the wearer's waist, before Apple integrated the battery directly into the headband like the Meta Quest Pro. As of 2022, Apple reportedly shifted the power source back to a battery pack intended to be worn on the user's waist, connected via a cable to the headband – a design advocated by Apple's former design chief, Sir Jony Ive.

While it was once rumored that the headband would be interchangeable like Apple Watch bands, that is no longer the case, since engineers faced technical challenges with the headband acting as a conduit for power to the headset.

Apple is said to favor hand-tracking and voice recognition to control the headset, but it has tested a "wand" and a "finger thimble" as alternative control input methods.

The headset is not expected to be accompanied by a dedicated gaming controller, and Apple has seemingly not focused substantially on gaming for the device. That being said, the company does have a plan to allow Unity to be its first partner to offer full VR experiences in the headset via its game engine.

Apple is focused on videoconferencing on the device, with digital avatars that have a high-level of accuracy when mimicking a user's facial expressions and body movements. It has also created software to allow users to perform activities like dragging the Maps app off a Mac screen and using it to display a 3D model of a city on a table top, and has devoted resources to educational resources for the device.

The Information also reaffirmed the presence of several features it previously revealed and independently confirmed others highlighted by sources like Bloomberg, Nikkei Asia, and DigiTimes:

• The headset has a large outward-facing display on its front. This can show the facial expressions of the headset's wearer to people around them, seeking to reduce a sense of isolation when using the device.
• The outward-facing display features an ultra-low refresh rate and reduced power consumption, much like the always-on display of the Apple Watch and iPhone 14 Pro.
• Interior Micro OLED displays for each eye with a 4K resolution, made by Sony, forming an 8K image overall.
• Each eye is tracked by at least one camera, allowing the headset to accurately show the user's gaze on an avatar. Eye-tracking also enables the headset to perform foveated rendering to conserve power by only rendering imagery in full resolution directly where the user is looking.
• More than a dozen cameras and sensors capture both facial expressions and body movements, including the user's legs. Apple apparently removed cameras to capture eyebrow and jaw movements when it developed machine learning to accomplish this.
• Both short- and long-range LiDAR scanners to map surfaces and distances in three dimensions.

The report claims that Apple supplier Pegatron assembled thousands of prototype units of the headset last year at a facility near Shanghai, having passed multiple prototyping stages and entering engineering validation testing. It added that the device was originally supposed to launch in 2022.

In addition, Apple has allegedly discussed pricing the headset at around $3,000 or more depending on its configuration, according to four people with knowledge of the matter speaking to The Information.

Article Link: Apple's AR/VR Headset Said to Feature Digital Crown, Waist-Mounted Battery Pack, and More

this is GOOD News.

#1 the Price! Thankfully this is a $3000 price point! That signals what many of us knew all along. this is not a consumer/gaming device. This is for affluent consumers, enterprise and content developers. As it should be.

 

[citysnaps]

No, AR has the theoretical potential to do those things. If and when the technology matures to the points where is not twitchy and imprecise, and when the viewfinder does not have to held up to your face or strapped to your end.

Apple Glasses will be a success, but they don't exist. And may not for many more years.
Apple Gigantic Headset is already a failure, because no one is going to be willing to wear it for any length of time, nor are they going to walk around in public wearing it while tethered to battery packs on their waist.

No, AR is doing those things today.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

this is GOOD News.

#1 the Price! Thankfully this is a $3000 price point! That signals what many of us knew all along. this is not a consumer/gaming device. This is for affluent consumers, enterprise and content developers. As it should be.

Only the affluent apply!

 

[lazyrighteye]

Is there a single person here who actually believes that Apple is going to release a headset that tethers to waist-mounted batteries??? That sounds like a tech demo from 1989, not a real product from Apple.

Right? That's the aspect I am [now] struggling with most. I mean, if anyone can somehow make wearing a utility belt "cool," I suppose it's Apple? And even that seems a stretch. Honestly, this only peeks my curiosity more. There's just no way these things will be tethered to a battery pack worn on one's waist (and the moment I typed that, I began to think "omg, they probably will make it tethered to a waist-worn battery pack"). It's all part of Apple's grand scheme to bring back belts into fashion in a major way. They'll have seasonally updated belts so users can express themselves whilst VRing. 🤪

 

[JMStearnsX2]

"Apple has developed different headbands, including one for consumers made of a similar material to Apple Watch sport bands with built-in speakers, and one targeted at developers."

Not understanding why this would be a thing

 

[tYNS]

This sounds ridiculous.

 

[Mike WA4D]

Why would you even do that? Do you have any idea what AR is really about?

These are Apple enthusiasts. And by virtue of owning an Apple product many consider themselves experts on design, technology, software and the marketing of these products. Thankfully Apple has ignored these poorly informed consumers. As well they should.

 

[Mike WA4D]

This sounds ridiculous.

“Ridiculous” is the norm here on MacRumors in my opinion. It’s fun to mock.

 

[aibloop]

Unobstrusive is nr1.


However, I wouldn’t say a 3000$ “Pro" AR/VR device is going to tank Apples efforts in the field.


Apple entering the ring is FacebookMeta’s wet dream. Is only going to raise all waters and legitimize the category and make Meta profitable.


Is interesting times.

 

[Mike WA4D]

Only the affluent apply!

View attachment 2137046

Good pointI agree. that said I would add Affluent And college educated professionals. I’d also like to see Apple seed the Pentagon with these headsets. Microsoft’s HoloLens has the combat infantry — Apple’s headsets could also contribute to national security missions.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Has no major need to be purchased in the first place. I already have five devices that can do what it does.

Why do you have 5 devices? Can't the other 4 cover the fifth? Can't the other 3 cover the fourth? I can do EVERYTHING I can do on any one of the main Apple devices I do on the other 3 or 4. So why does Apple bother creating the other 3 or 4 if 1 or 2 can cover all bases? We're only pessimistic along this line about this one product. And yet this argument easily applies to all of the other products Apple makes. Why should they exist if any one of them can pretty much cover what all of the others can do?

Besides, not everyone has the 5 devices. What if this can do in one or two what currently takes your 5 to do? Perhaps new buyers not already with all 5 would find such a device useful? Maybe Apple will sell this to those people?

Two hour battery life. I am not dragging around another charger, cuz obviously it will be a unique brick, and two hour battery life isn't really going to mesh well with modern expectations. If people feel like it won't last long enough out of the house, they may hold off purchasing until a third gen model. This hampers adoption to early adopters only, which are not a sign of interest.

That's a rumor that may or may not be true. If true, that's a big negative. If not true, that may be the classic under promise rumor that then has shockingly more battery life when revealed... like getting a very high price rolling through the rumor mill for a new product called iPad and then rolling it out at about HALF the rumored price. Original iPad went from "insane if they think I'm going to pay $999 for a big iPod" to "OMG only $499. Shut up and take my money."

Purposeful leaks can set wrong expectations that then result in positive surprise reality. Apple marketing knows how to do this well.

Ergonomics: By the pictures it looks like a helmet and has a belt clip? How long will I want to wear it?

Rumor. Seems unlikely that that will be reality in an Apple product. However, if it is, that seems terrible... as would Apple then trying to sell a line of designer battery belts as high-profit accessories.

Legality: It's obviously going to be banned in vehicles by anyone driving. So, it's passenger usage only.

Do you ever see motorcyclists with much more complete head coverage on their heads? Bicyclists with full helmet + glasses? People with those loaded sunglasses that block light from all angles? Firemen in/on much larger-than-average vehicles in helmets?

If AR can pass through the same, complete view as not wearing it, I'm not sure this is a problem given motorcyclists freely ride with a < helmet-less view... and the law requires them to do so.

However, owning goggles doesn't seem like it would require continuous wearing either. I am not on an iPhone, iPad, MB, Mac while driving. Some of those may be with me for when I arrive somewhere but I usually put such technology down to focus on the task of driving. Goggles could be put down too.

Legality: What's the use for going out to restaurants? Bars? Shopping? Will companies be okay with a permanently recording device in their stores? Will other patrons be hesitant to be around someone wearing it? You won't know until they are in the public. You cannot make suppositions on something that hasn't been a public device since Google Glass.

If your other 5 devices do everything this will do, are you able to enter restaurants? bars? shopping? Are companies OK? Are other patrons OK? What do motorcyclists in much more complete headgear do when they enter restaurants, bars, shopping, etc? It seems owners of these could do the same. I have no concept that people will want to live in these every waking hour. I imagine they'll use them like people use other tech tools like laptops or tablets: use 'em when they want, put them away when they don't want.

But I agree with that last part: we can't make suppositions BOTH WAYS (positive and negative) until we can actually see what it is and what it does. Maybe everything the pessimists are arguing applies and Apple has wasted 6+ years of development and money on this completely useless product that no one will want to buy. Or maybe everything the optimists are arguing and then some is delivered and this is somehow Apples next iPhone-level innovation? It doesn't work at all to take one side while then suggesting the counterpoint should not be offered. The extremist pessimists or optimists could either be near completely right about this product... or it may be something between the two.

I'll simply assume 6+ years of Apple development is probably going to deliver something more likely to be great than a complete flop. Apple certainly can create flops. This certainly could be one in the making. But Apple also created iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch, the Mac, etc. As much as anyone can imagine uselessness, others can imagine useful. As much as anyone can imagine next iPhone, others can imagine socks.

Again, I have to ask: MO: What is the use case? I can do everything everyone says it can do from another device in a manner more comfortable to me. My TV doesn't have a two hour battery life, neither does my phone or iPad. And I don't have to wear any of them to use them.

Seems like if existing tools you already own already do everything these can do, you are not a customer for this. However, the world has a lot more people in it than only you. Maybe they are the market? Maybe they will find this more comfortable to them? Apple creating a new product doesn't obligate all of us to buy it. It's just an option for anyone interested. That would appear to NOT be you (right now... and maybe ever). And that's OK. I don't even have Apples most popular product right now myself because I can get enough of out an iPad Mini to cover my phone needs. That's OK too. Just because Apple makes something doesn't obligate everyone to buy it. I have no cloth, no wheels, no Mac Pro, most of the other Macs, most of the iPads, Logic Pro, HomePod, etc. No one holds a gun to my head demanding I complete some collection.

Sharing: You can't just pass this thing back and forth like a phone or tablet. Share Screen is suggested as a fix for this, but I don't share my iPhone screen to another phone, I just hand my phone to someone else. Analogue Ad Hoc exchange still holds true in gaming software as well, where sharing your game is as simple as handing the disc to a friend (although Microsoft tried to kill this with the One.)

Seems like it would be as easy to pass these back and forth to others like it is to pass headphones back and forth... or a hat... or a helmet.

Sharing: Yes, you could share from one device to another in a Share Session, but that ASSUMES this thing will be adopted by everyone on DAY ONE. That's a hefty assumption.

Yes, and I'll go further. That's an impossible assumption. There was originally only a single iPad owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could FaceTime with no other iPad owners because he was first. There was originally only a single iPhone owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could not do any sharing with other iPhone buyers because he was the first owner. All brand new technology starts out with 1 buyer. In time, others may buy too and then social interaction between the new technology becomes possible. There is no "day one, everyone" anything ever released.

Fervent Defenders: A lot of these zealots who advocate it are going to cost people money and time to figure out they don't need it, and then heavy returns will kill the entire project in the public's mind.

Maybe! But the same could have been said about iPod before launch, iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Watch, AirPods, et all. Every brand new technology has this risk of poor uptake and/or market failure. Fortunately, companies try to roll out new stuff anyway- see relentless CES rollouts this week. Against the massive wave of doubters about iPod, I certainly enjoyed that first iPod and then many thereafter. Against the wave of doubters of an "iPod Phone," I certainly enjoyed that first iPhone and some variations since. "iPad is just a big iPod" but I enjoy my iPad every single day.

There are always incredible doubters about every new tech launch. Fortunately, tech sellers keep trying anyway. And sometimes they roll out something amazing. This may be a bomb or it may be amazing. We can all only find out when it actually arrives and we can actually see what it is/does/can do... just like that first iPod, that first iPhone, that first AppleTV, that first iPad, that first Watch, etc.

 

[citysnaps]

These are Apple enthusiasts. And by virtue of owning an Apple product many consider themselves experts on design, technology, software and the marketing of these products. Thankfully Apple has ignored these poorly informed consumers. As well they should.

.... .- !

... .--. --- - --- -.

 

[Herm3s]

Seems more likley to me that they're actually reporting on an older engineering device. I highly doubt there will be a battery belt, as they wanted an all in one device from the start. Also 120 deg FOV in total is just not going to cut it for the experineces they have in mind, makes more sense to me if that is per eye.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Why do you have 5 devices? Can't the other 4 cover the fifth?

This guy doesn’t understand how people compute, use tools, divide up their work and downtime.

Can't the other 3 cover the fourth? I can do EVERYTHING I can do on any one of the main Apple devices I do on the other 3 or 4. So why does Apple bother creating the other 3 or 4 if 1 or 2 can cover all bases? We're only pessimistic along this line about this one product. And yet this argument easily applies to all of the other products Apple makes. Why should they exist if any one of them can pretty much cover what all of the others can do?

Besides, not everyone has the 5 devices. What if this can do in one or two what currently takes your 5 to do? Perhaps new buyers not already with all 5 would find such a device useful? Maybe Apple will sell this to those people?



That's a rumor that may or may not be true. If true, that's a big negative. If not true, that may be the classic under promise rumor that then has shockingly more battery life when revealed... like getting a very high price rolling through the rumor mill for a new product called iPad and then rolling it out at about HALF the rumored price. Original iPad went from "insane if they think I'm going to pay $999 for a big iPod" to "OMG only $499. Shut up and take my money."

Purposeful leaks can set wrong expectations that then result in positive surprise reality. Apple marketing knows how to do this well.



Rumor. Seems unlikely that that will be reality in an Apple product. However, if it is, that seems terrible... as would Apple then trying to sell a line of designer battery belts as high-profit accessories.



Do you ever see motorcyclists with much more complete head coverage on their heads? Bicyclists with full helmet + glasses? People with those loaded sunglasses that block light from all angles? Firemen in/on much larger-than-average vehicles in helmets?

If AR can pass through the same, complete view as not wearing it, I'm not sure this is a problem given motorcyclists freely ride with a < helmet-less view... and the law requires them to do so.

However, owning goggles doesn't seem like it would require continuous wearing either. I am not on an iPhone, iPad, MB, Mac while driving. Some of those may be with me for when I arrive somewhere but I usually put such technology down to focus on the task of driving. Goggles could be put down too.



If your other 5 devices do everything this will do, are you able to enter restaurants? bars? shopping? Are companies OK? Are other patrons OK? What do motorcyclists in much more complete headgear do when they enter restaurants, bars, shopping, etc? It seems owners of these could do the same. I have no concept that people will want to live in these every waking hour. I imagine they'll use them like people use other tech tools like laptops or tablets: use 'em when they want, put them away when they don't want.

But I agree with that last part: we can't make suppositions BOTH WAYS (positive and negative) until we can actually see what it is and what it does. Maybe everything the pessimists are arguing applies and Apple has wasted 6+ years of development and money on this completely useless product that no one will want to buy. Or maybe everything the optimists are arguing and then some is delivered and this is somehow Apples next iPhone-level innovation? It does't work at all to take one side while then suggesting the counterpoint should not be offered. The extremist pessimists or optimists could either be near completely right about this product... or it may be something between the two.

I'll simply assume 6+ years of Apple development is probably going to deliver something more likely to be great than a complete flop. Apple certainly can create flops. This certainly could be one in the making. But Apple also created iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch, the Mac, etc. As much as anyone can imagine uselessness, others can imagine useful. As much as anyone can imagine next iPhone, others can imagine socks.



Seems like if existing tools you already own already do everything these can do, you are not a customer for this. However, the world has a lot more people in it than only you. Maybe they are the market? Maybe they will find this more comfortable to them? Apple creating a new product doesn't obligate all of us to buy it. It's just an option for anyone interested. That would be appear to NOT be you right now. And that's OK. I don't even have Apples most popular product right now myself because I can get enough of out an iPad Mini to cover my phone needs. That's OK too. Just because Apple makes something doesn't obligate everyone to buy it. I have no cloth, no wheels, no Mac Pro, most of the other Macs, most of the iPads, Logic Pro, HomePod, etc. No one holds a gun to my head demanding I complete some collection.



Seems like it would be as easy to pass these back and forth to others like it is to pass headphones back and forth... or a hat... or a helmet.



Yes, and I'll go further. That's an impossible assumption. There was originally only a single iPad owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could FaceTime with no other iPad owners because he was first. There was originally only a single iPhone owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could not do any sharing with other iPhone buyers because he was the first owner. All brand new technology starts out with 1 buyer. In time, others may buy too and then social interaction between the new technology becomes possible. There is no "day one, everyone" anything ever released.



Maybe! But the same could have been said about iPod before launch, iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Watch, AirPods, et all. Every brand new technology has this risk of poor uptake and/or market failure. Fortunately, companies try to roll out new stuff anyway. Against the massive wave of doubters about iPod, I certainly enjoyed that first iPod and then many thereafter. Against the wave of doubters of an "iPod Phone," I certainly enjoyed that first iPhone and some variations since. "iPad is just a big iPod" but I enjoy my iPad every single day.

There are always incredible doubters about every new tech launch. Fortunately, tech sellers keep trying anyway. And sometimes they roll out something amazing. This may be a bomb or it may be amazing. We can all only find out when it actually arrives and we can actually see what it is/does/can do... just like that first iPod, that first iPhone, that first AppleTV, that first iPad, that first Watch, etc.

Those crazy giant paragraphs of empty nothing again. No matter how many times people asked you to be brief and concise you keep posting giant paragraphs of nothing. 😂😂😛😛 and you claimed to be a coder 😛😂😂😂😂

It’s really simple. If you have a point you can make it in two sentences. You don’t need 10 paragraph long posts full of repetitive nothing. It’s like a Jehovah Witness who refuses to leave the porch.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

This guy doesn’t understand how people compute, use tools, divide up their work and downtime.




Those crazy giant paragraphs of empty nothing again. No matter how many times people asked you to be brief and concise you keep posting giant paragraphs of nothing. 😂😂😛😛 and you claimed to be a coder 😛😂😂😂😂

It’s really simple. If you have a point you can make it in two sentences. You don’t need 10 paragraph long posts full of repetitive nothing. It’s like a Jehovah Witness who refuses to leave the porch.

Yes I appreciate your crits. You and I do NOT agree about the potential of this product at all. Feel free to use the ignore (my posts) function so you can save yourself the burden of those "crazy giant paragraphs of empty nothing." I would thoroughly welcome you ignoring my contributions.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Good pointI agree. that said I would add Affluent And college educated professionals. I’d also like to see Apple seed the Pentagon with these headsets. Microsoft’s HoloLens has the combat infantry — Apple’s headsets could also contribute to national security missions.

LMAO. Consumer grade software on the battlefield complete with consumer gets De bugs! 😂😛

Military and medical devices cannot use mainstream software for critical operations. They have to modify everything, build from ground up, make sure they are 100% reliable, no lag, no crash in the middle of critical moments.

Even Apple’s Watch doesn’t compare to true medical devices despite earning a certificate.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Yes I appreciate your crits. You and I do NOT agree about the potential of this product at all. Feel free to use the ignore (my posts) function so you can save yourself the burden of those "crazy giant paragraphs of empty nothing." I would thoroughly welcome you ignoring my contributions.

I and others have outlined realistic use cases. You just try to shove an extremely unrealistic and totally fantastical VR Maxi vision deep down our throats and you won’t accept reality.

I’m not going to ‘Ignore’ you. BS and misinformation and science fiction has to be challenged.

But I’m also not going to have circular debates with your giant paragraphs of nothing. Debating a VR Maxi is more nauseating than wearing a bad VR device all day.

So carry on pretending you can code 😂

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I have asked you at least 6 times now to identify any "fantastical visions" I have cast that should not be possible with this rumored technology and the right software. You do not EVER reply with any such example.

Instead you just cheerlead the pessimists and attempt to shout down anyone with any differing perspective.

Please, identify a fantastical vision I've suggested that can't be done with the rumored tech and the right software.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

I have asked you at least 6 times now to identify any "fantastical visions" I have cast that should not be possible with this rumored technology and the right software. You do not EVER reply with any such example.

Instead you just cheerlead the pessimists and attempt to shout down anyone with any differing perspective.

Please, identify a fantastical vision I've suggested that can't be done with the rumored tech and the right software.

We answered you and corrected you for 5 days and you keep coming back with giant paragraphs with your VR Maxi vision of the future.

I have no doubt you will never stop. This is an issue you need to deal with personally and nobody can change you, it seems.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

We answered you and corrected you for 5 days and you keep coming back with giant paragraphs with your VR Maxi vision of the future.

I have no doubt you will never stop. This is an issue you need to deal with personally and nobody can change you, it seems.

Please point me to your specific answer identifying my "sci fi", "fantastical visions". You don't. You just imply that you have and even try to make it a goggle-pessimist community doing the same. It's mostly you. And you seem to be redirecting disgust with FB/META/Zuckerberg/Crypto/Musk/etc at this product like it has anything to do with any of that.

"I have no doubt you will never stop" too. It is not your role here to change me, nor it is mine to change you. As I've written maybe 10 times now, you are welcomed to your opinions, as I should be to mine.

These forums are not about trying to change anyone. It's mostly about Apple people offering their OWN thoughts about mostly Apple stuff. Fortunately, not all thoughts are exactly the same. And that's a good thing.

 

[aibloop]

Get off mi lawn with your VRs! /

 

[crsh1976]

Waist-mounted battery wired to your headset, sounds horrid - that is, unless it's clad in Hermes leather and costs $10k, then it's fabulous!

 

[robbietop]

Why do you have 5 devices? Can't the other 4 cover the fifth? Can't the other 3 cover the fourth? I can do EVERYTHING I can do on any one of the main Apple devices I do on the other 3 or 4. So why does Apple bother creating the other 3 or 4 if 1 or 2 can cover all bases? We're only pessimistic along this line about this one product. And yet this argument easily applies to all of the other products Apple makes. Why should they exist if any one of them can pretty much cover what all of the others can do?

Besides, not everyone has the 5 devices. What if this can do in one or two what currently takes your 5 to do? Perhaps new buyers not already with all 5 would find such a device useful? Maybe Apple will sell this to those people?



That's a rumor that may or may not be true. If true, that's a big negative. If not true, that may be the classic under promise rumor that then has shockingly more battery life when revealed... like getting a very high price rolling through the rumor mill for a new product called iPad and then rolling it out at about HALF the rumored price. Original iPad went from "insane if they think I'm going to pay $999 for a big iPod" to "OMG only $499. Shut up and take my money."

Purposeful leaks can set wrong expectations that then result in positive surprise reality. Apple marketing knows how to do this well.



Rumor. Seems unlikely that that will be reality in an Apple product. However, if it is, that seems terrible... as would Apple then trying to sell a line of designer battery belts as high-profit accessories.



Do you ever see motorcyclists with much more complete head coverage on their heads? Bicyclists with full helmet + glasses? People with those loaded sunglasses that block light from all angles? Firemen in/on much larger-than-average vehicles in helmets?

If AR can pass through the same, complete view as not wearing it, I'm not sure this is a problem given motorcyclists freely ride with a < helmet-less view... and the law requires them to do so.

However, owning goggles doesn't seem like it would require continuous wearing either. I am not on an iPhone, iPad, MB, Mac while driving. Some of those may be with me for when I arrive somewhere but I usually put such technology down to focus on the task of driving. Goggles could be put down too.



If your other 5 devices do everything this will do, are you able to enter restaurants? bars? shopping? Are companies OK? Are other patrons OK? What do motorcyclists in much more complete headgear do when they enter restaurants, bars, shopping, etc? It seems owners of these could do the same. I have no concept that people will want to live in these every waking hour. I imagine they'll use them like people use other tech tools like laptops or tablets: use 'em when they want, put them away when they don't want.

But I agree with that last part: we can't make suppositions BOTH WAYS (positive and negative) until we can actually see what it is and what it does. Maybe everything the pessimists are arguing applies and Apple has wasted 6+ years of development and money on this completely useless product that no one will want to buy. Or maybe everything the optimists are arguing and then some is delivered and this is somehow Apples next iPhone-level innovation? It doesn't work at all to take one side while then suggesting the counterpoint should not be offered. The extremist pessimists or optimists could either be near completely right about this product... or it may be something between the two.

I'll simply assume 6+ years of Apple development is probably going to deliver something more likely to be great than a complete flop. Apple certainly can create flops. This certainly could be one in the making. But Apple also created iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch, the Mac, etc. As much as anyone can imagine uselessness, others can imagine useful. As much as anyone can imagine next iPhone, others can imagine socks.



Seems like if existing tools you already own already do everything these can do, you are not a customer for this. However, the world has a lot more people in it than only you. Maybe they are the market? Maybe they will find this more comfortable to them? Apple creating a new product doesn't obligate all of us to buy it. It's just an option for anyone interested. That would appear to NOT be you (right now... and maybe ever). And that's OK. I don't even have Apples most popular product right now myself because I can get enough of out an iPad Mini to cover my phone needs. That's OK too. Just because Apple makes something doesn't obligate everyone to buy it. I have no cloth, no wheels, no Mac Pro, most of the other Macs, most of the iPads, Logic Pro, HomePod, etc. No one holds a gun to my head demanding I complete some collection.



Seems like it would be as easy to pass these back and forth to others like it is to pass headphones back and forth... or a hat... or a helmet.



Yes, and I'll go further. That's an impossible assumption. There was originally only a single iPad owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could FaceTime with no other iPad owners because he was first. There was originally only a single iPhone owner- the FIRST unboxing guy. He could not do any sharing with other iPhone buyers because he was the first owner. All brand new technology starts out with 1 buyer. In time, others may buy too and then social interaction between the new technology becomes possible. There is no "day one, everyone" anything ever released.



Maybe! But the same could have been said about iPod before launch, iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Watch, AirPods, et all. Every brand new technology has this risk of poor uptake and/or market failure. Fortunately, companies try to roll out new stuff anyway- see relentless CES rollouts this week. Against the massive wave of doubters about iPod, I certainly enjoyed that first iPod and then many thereafter. Against the wave of doubters of an "iPod Phone," I certainly enjoyed that first iPhone and some variations since. "iPad is just a big iPod" but I enjoy my iPad every single day.

There are always incredible doubters about every new tech launch. Fortunately, tech sellers keep trying anyway. And sometimes they roll out something amazing. This may be a bomb or it may be amazing. We can all only find out when it actually arrives and we can actually see what it is/does/can do... just like that first iPod, that first iPhone, that first AppleTV, that first iPad, that first Watch, etc.

Why 5 devices? iPad better than iPhone at reading books, TV better than iPad at watching TV (ironic), iPhone better at making phone calls than Watch, and Watch better at telling time than HomePod mini.

Motorcyclists aren't wearing VR headsets. Those are legally required head protection that survive slamming concrete at high velocities.

Sunglasses block out distracting or annoying sunlight. They're not displaying anything that could be distracting to the user, such as text messages, calls, etc (all of which are illegal to respond to or look at while operating a motor vehicle without handsfree).

It also will supposedly only have a 2 hour battery limit, and I don't know if you've ever tried to take your helmet while riding, but it's not easy. As for car drivers, one more thing to plug into....if the government even allows a driver to operate it while in operation of a Class C Motor Vehicle.

It is obvious when I am filming with my iPhone. I also don't have it strapped to my face. Someone on their laptop or phone at a bar usually gives off "leave me alone" vibes. A small few bars or restaurants I have visited outright will ignore you if you are on your phone. However, they display signage to alert you of this.

And I spend much of my time with non-tech people, and they have all wondered if they would be able to resist snickering or outright mocking someone wearing a VR headset in public. To tech people, it sounds cool! To non-tech people, you look like a total nerd/geek and with that comes scorn. There's also some people who just aren't used to seeing it, and will be uncomfortable, wondering what led someone to think that's normal. Human psychology is highly complex and a cavalier wave of the hand to these people as bigots or bullies completely misses the point, and alienates the preferred demographic (non-tech, non-nerd, non-geek, as this is the largest amount of customers).

Why I keep cynically tearing it down shows my bias for tech fixes to issues that are currently here and still need fixing. I still would enjoy some justification for the Pro moniker on the iPad Pro. It's a glorified iPhone with a larger screen with a holy hell amount of RAM for apps that barely need 1/4 of that memory pool. I love my iPad, but I don't see how the extra power of M1 has improved my experience compared the previous Ax-series.

And to counter your point that there was at one point a first iPad owner, there was also a first Atari Jaguar owner and nobody cares about that guy. The Atari Jaguar was the "World's First 64-bit gaming system", despite not being 64-bit (two 32-bit RISC processors chained together with a Motorola 68k is not 64-bit). It also had a VR headset that was gonna revolutionize gaming! It never launched.

 

[aibloop]

A couple celebrities wearing it publicly should fix all those issues. You’ll see it on some series and movies, youtube influencers etc.

It IS inherently anti-social to wear one tho, just like wearing sunglasses. And walking around with a 3000$ "rob me" sign on your head might be a problem initially.


Who knows, will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

And to counter your point that there was at one point a first iPad owner, there was also a first Atari Jaguar owner and nobody cares about that guy. The Atari Jaguar was the "World's First 64-bit gaming system", despite not being 64-bit (two 32-bit RISC processors chained together with a Motorola 68k is not 64-bit). It also had a VR headset that was gonna revolutionize gaming! It never launched.

Fanatics will always say you are a heathen, ignoramous, tech illiterate, unbeliever if you don’t accept their funny ideas. VR Maxis who believe everything can be replaced and you can live in VR are no different from bitcoin maxis who believe they can replace every currency and bank in the world and other extremist groups who demand you give up diversity and pluralism in favor of their one true way. 😂😛