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Artistic Renders Offer Best Look Yet at Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset
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These look like they would have been perfect for snowboarding this past week...as I run into a tree thinking that I'm missing the virtual tree.
Either Apple, or whoever created this rendering, seems to have been inspired by diving masks. The straps, mounting flange, skirt around the face, etc. And it makes sense to borrow from a design that's been continuously refined for a century rather than something slapped together by the product design geniuses at Google and Facebook.
Why? For starters, I suspect this has little to do with gaming and everything to do with how we will interface with tech in the near future. Approve or not, AR/VR are the next wave. An inevitable wave that can't be stopped. And there is no turning back. Apple knows this, has seen this, has planned for this and will profit insanely from this. As WIRED posits, they metaverse is "made for companies, not people."
Your perspective is perfectly understandable and not unlike the sentiment that dominates the lead up to literally every single new product/category pre-launch from Apple. It can be difficult to understand a new use case because most use case considerations are informed by past definitions of "use case." But Apple doesn't live or think or work in past definitions. That's not their role. It's not their bread and butter. With staggering success, Apple drops a new device that then becomes the de facto standard that is mimicked for the next decade in every industry from tech to auto to kitchen appliances. It's easy to credit Ive's worthy hardware design with Apple success. And while his incredible contribution is certainly a factor (one which has served great inspiration in my own thinking and working), it served more a Trojan Horse for what has always mattered most at Apple: software. For it has been software that has set the expectation for what it means to interface with tech for a massive user base. And Steve knew winning the expectation game, would mean winning the - at that time - Mac/PC war. From toddlers to octogenarians, it has been Apple's software that has so demystified tech: taken what was once intimidating and made it as common as the every day hammer. While there are earlier examples, for me, the iPhone (and iOS) was the shining example of this. Before its launch, every exec was rocking a Blackberry. But not long after the iPhone launch, every exec started to prefer the ease of use of their personal iPhones. Not wanting to carry two phones, they began requesting them as their corp-issue phone. Seemingly overnight, they wanted that same transparent ease-of-use on their corp-issue computer. This forced IT departments to begin supporting both PC and Mac. Today, there has never been more Macs in the corporate sector. All of this was set in motion by deeply understanding the value of winning the earliest part of the consumer journey: expectation. Fast forward, and some thought it ridiculous for a "computer company" to delve into auto infotainment systems. And now you can't buy a new car that doesn't come bundled with CarPlay. Now something as wild as an Apple-branded vehicle begins to make sense. Through this lens, VR goggles seem a laughable no-brainer. And I fully expect we'll all be clamoring for them, in time. Add in Aple's massive, market-shifting, user base and you have a recipe for adoption, transformation, evolution - all of which is known, planned for and reflected in the market.
I could be wrong. Have been many times. But history has been on Apple's side, in this regard, for three decades. I'm interested to see how it all plays out. Been a wild ride thus far. I see no reason that doesn't continue. 😜
Am really curious to see how this plays out. As far as VR goggles go they look quite good.
Could this really be more of a thing for AR devs to be using getting things ready for for when that comes out? (still trying to figure out where they're going with VR - there really isn't much of a consumer market for it, but a little faith may be in order for this company).
Could this really be more of a thing for AR devs to be using getting things ready for for when that comes out? (still trying to figure out where they're going with VR - there really isn't much of a consumer market for it, but a little faith may be in order for this company).
I get where you’re coming from, but what is it for? It’s obviously not something you’re supposed to wear out and about so what is it for if it’s not gaming?
Yes, all the way up to the 3rd millennium BC when they started writing things down on clay tablets.
You know MP3 players were niche before the iPod? And smartphones were a niche business tool before the iPhone. Tablets were niche before the iPad. Smartwatches were niche before the Apple Watch. So in a way, Apple has always been into niche products. They simply un-niche them.
Eventually it'll be for virtually everything you do with a computer. Including surfing the web, documents, audio/video editing, having virtual meetings, watching content.... Except all of it will be done on a limitless 3D display in perpetual space around you, rather than stuck on a relatively small rectangular display.
Not sure what version 1.0 of this product will be like, but eventually I can imagine a light and comfortable headset that lets you not only play immersive games, but recreate the experience of watching an ultra high definition movie in front of a giant IMAX screen in a theater. In other words, this will do for video what the first Walkman did for audio.
And eventually there will be a more discreet "glasses" version that will replace your iPhone's display in various situations. Think: Apple's take on Google Glass.
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This concept video was released 6 months before Steve Jobs revealed the original iPhone.
2006 "iTalk" Concept Video
Man, I’d hate to be the engineer fired over leaking these. This looks pretty dang official. To get the rendering that clean they must have seen some pretty high quality internal visuals.
That being said, I’m a little hesitant to wear these as AR goggles. VR, sure, but yeah I don’t see myself walking down the street wearing these. People did say that about the iPad though. “It’s just a big ugly iPhone, nobody wants that.” Or the Apple Watch “who wants such a tiny iPhone screen on their wrist? This is such a niche product”. Apple has serious market share dominance in both of these now.
Maybe they’re banking on the MetaVerse taking off. This is a gateway into that. Social media moving off of apps and into a literal digital world you can get into and interact with others around you.
That being said, I’m a little hesitant to wear these as AR goggles. VR, sure, but yeah I don’t see myself walking down the street wearing these. People did say that about the iPad though. “It’s just a big ugly iPhone, nobody wants that.” Or the Apple Watch “who wants such a tiny iPhone screen on their wrist? This is such a niche product”. Apple has serious market share dominance in both of these now.
Maybe they’re banking on the MetaVerse taking off. This is a gateway into that. Social media moving off of apps and into a literal digital world you can get into and interact with others around you.
Whoever is rendering these has no concept of Apple's design language. ??♂️
Mashups of AirPods Pro Max and Apple Watch aren't going to equal an individual product. Apple will design that product with its own solutions.
Mashups of AirPods Pro Max and Apple Watch aren't going to equal an individual product. Apple will design that product with its own solutions.
When this device is unveiled, I believe that we'll find that Apple has departed from the standard concept that people have of VR headsets. They're not appealing to most people which is why they've never gone mainstream. Apple isn't going to take existing/old concepts of VR and add their spin. That's not how Apple works. That thinking is what lead people to believe that Apple's phone would look like this:
A couple of problems and misconceptions:
1. This may come as a surprise to hardcore VR gamers, but full immersion isn't only unnecessary but it's one of the "features" in current VR headsets that detracts the average person from VR: full blackout from the world isn't desirable, definitely not in work settings, and not necessary to enjoy entertainment. We sit in dark rooms watching TV or in movie theatres and feel fully immersed in a good movie, while still being aware of our surroundings. Apple's goal with this device is to get to AR; they're not going to start with blocking people out from the world.
2. Front loaded weight distribution is a problem. The centre of gravity of all VR headsets in front of the user causes discomfort for long term use. Apple Glasses – both the VR kind and the future AR evolution – will have weight distributed into the stems on the sides, with very little of the device in front of the user.
Apple's VR device will look a lot closer in form to the final AR glasses that this device will iterate into over a few generations. While it won't be lightweight or inconspicuous enough to wear all day and have transparent lenses with image projection fully developed, this device will have an overall aesthetic of glasses that you can easily throw up on your face, use and still interact with the world around you.
Apple's goal is to get to AR glasses you can wear out in the world (and beyond that, contact lenses) so they're not going to start with an outdated concept of a VR headset that has never been able to reach adoption outside a niche user base. This will be something entirely new and people are going to be blown away in a "why didn't anybody else think of this?" way. It'll be so forehead smacking obvious in retrospect.
A couple of problems and misconceptions:
1. This may come as a surprise to hardcore VR gamers, but full immersion isn't only unnecessary but it's one of the "features" in current VR headsets that detracts the average person from VR: full blackout from the world isn't desirable, definitely not in work settings, and not necessary to enjoy entertainment. We sit in dark rooms watching TV or in movie theatres and feel fully immersed in a good movie, while still being aware of our surroundings. Apple's goal with this device is to get to AR; they're not going to start with blocking people out from the world.
2. Front loaded weight distribution is a problem. The centre of gravity of all VR headsets in front of the user causes discomfort for long term use. Apple Glasses – both the VR kind and the future AR evolution – will have weight distributed into the stems on the sides, with very little of the device in front of the user.
Apple's VR device will look a lot closer in form to the final AR glasses that this device will iterate into over a few generations. While it won't be lightweight or inconspicuous enough to wear all day and have transparent lenses with image projection fully developed, this device will have an overall aesthetic of glasses that you can easily throw up on your face, use and still interact with the world around you.
Apple's goal is to get to AR glasses you can wear out in the world (and beyond that, contact lenses) so they're not going to start with an outdated concept of a VR headset that has never been able to reach adoption outside a niche user base. This will be something entirely new and people are going to be blown away in a "why didn't anybody else think of this?" way. It'll be so forehead smacking obvious in retrospect.
No, these will not yet be something for which to wear to Whole Foods. But that is coming. These are intended for use in a controlled (read: safe) environment. I think these are much more about introducing/training us how to interface with tech in a completely new (to post) way. Like the mouse or touch or Pencil - gestures in VR will be another way we will interface with tech. Amongst other things, will these goggles be capable of gaming? Of course. But gaming is not, nor ever has been, Apple's intent.
Again, Apple's user base is so massive, that to introduce new paradigms require a steady, patient, savvy. Baby steps. Too much, too fast and you risk losing peeps. That was the function of skeuomorphism in early iOS releases. There was nothing saying a note taking app had to actually look like lead pencil dragged across ruled notebook paper. But prior to Notes, that's what we associated with "talking notes." Mimicking that experience in iOS made the jump from note taking on paper to not taking on screen, palpable - for those that needed such support. People, in general, can be slow to change. Case in point: Touch Bar. A really cool concept that was a case of too much, too fast. People didn't like their keys changing. They liked buttons. Function keys are buttons. They revolted. Apple reversed course - which is both unusual and too bad. I wa sincerest dot see Apple' full intent with Touch Bar.
I could easily be wrong. And I:m fine with that. I'm simply trying to take a bunch of breadcrumbs and make a potential. It's not only fun but the point of this site. Will be fun to see how wrong I am. ?