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Kuo: Apple Still on Track to Release Mixed Reality Headset Next Year
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You‘re on Macrumors here. Chances are very high that this isn’t the real deal. If it originates from Apple in the first place, it’s surely intentionally fugly in order to not give away any design cues early on.
Do you really think that is the final product? Apple is preparing for the future. Most people really did not think they needed a smart phone when the iPhone came out! The final consumer product will probably be nothing like that concept picture!
Anyone that doesn’t see the point in this can’t have spent any time actually thinking about potential uses and/or probably doesn’t use a smartphone/computer/technology much anyway. The possibilities are virtually limitless. Even with the poor quality, black and white passthrough of the Oculus Quest 2 you really do get a sense that screens/objects/windows are placed in the real world. I believe that Apple will do a good job with the cameras and passthrough that it will pretty much feel like you’re wearing ski goggles with no lens. They’re focussing on making them lightweight and compact which I believe are the two factors that make them uncomfortable/bulky to use for everyday computing or extended wear.
Will we see people wandering round with headsets? Probably not, at least probably not for a few years. I believe this will be a device that will start its life as a product used in the home or office as an extension or even replacement of your computer. Another user posted an interesting comment that you could buy an Mac Mini and use it with this instead of a physical monitor. Given Apple’s recent strides with the M1 chip and the recent announcement that the M1 is going in the iPad, it’s not out of the realms of possibility that the first AR set could have the power of an iPad Pro or MacBook Pro. Then you just add a touchpad and keyboard and you’ve replaced your computer. Consider these headsets being as comfortable to wear as over ear headphones and I would have no problem wearing them for a full day’s work.
Apple products “get out of the way” in my opinion. You buy them, and then forget why you bought them because they “get out of the way”, they don’t crash, the interface is simple and it doesn’t take a lot to interact with them. I sometimes question why I bought an Apple Watch since I don’t really “use it”. I just put it on my wrist each day and forget about it, until I do need to use it: set a timer, control my music, view the outside temperature, view a notification… I believe the headset will “get out of the way”, you will forget you’re wearing it and you will be able to have virtual monitors that are as good as most people’s current monitors, any number of them or any size, shape or position, or perhaps we should stop thinking in terms of “monitors” and think more as our entire environment being our “3D monitor” and being able to place whatever we want, wherever we want in 3D space, whether that’s a traditional window that we might place on a wall or somewhere around our desk or a 3D object for example a globe.
I’ve barely scratched the surface and only talked about how headsets can augment our traditional computing which in itself will be enough for some people to buy it. I know I would - being able to travel anywhere with just my headset a keyboard, trackpad and an infinite “monitor” is enough to sell it for me.
Getting this tech into “glasses” that people do wear all day, wherever they are will one day be the norm. Will everyone wear them? No, it will probably be similar to the pervasiveness of headphones and truly wireless earbuds. Will people look stupid? Maybe, but I think these glasses will end up being very inconspicuous and again, first iterations may be devices you only use at home or in the office.
Will we see people wandering round with headsets? Probably not, at least probably not for a few years. I believe this will be a device that will start its life as a product used in the home or office as an extension or even replacement of your computer. Another user posted an interesting comment that you could buy an Mac Mini and use it with this instead of a physical monitor. Given Apple’s recent strides with the M1 chip and the recent announcement that the M1 is going in the iPad, it’s not out of the realms of possibility that the first AR set could have the power of an iPad Pro or MacBook Pro. Then you just add a touchpad and keyboard and you’ve replaced your computer. Consider these headsets being as comfortable to wear as over ear headphones and I would have no problem wearing them for a full day’s work.
Apple products “get out of the way” in my opinion. You buy them, and then forget why you bought them because they “get out of the way”, they don’t crash, the interface is simple and it doesn’t take a lot to interact with them. I sometimes question why I bought an Apple Watch since I don’t really “use it”. I just put it on my wrist each day and forget about it, until I do need to use it: set a timer, control my music, view the outside temperature, view a notification… I believe the headset will “get out of the way”, you will forget you’re wearing it and you will be able to have virtual monitors that are as good as most people’s current monitors, any number of them or any size, shape or position, or perhaps we should stop thinking in terms of “monitors” and think more as our entire environment being our “3D monitor” and being able to place whatever we want, wherever we want in 3D space, whether that’s a traditional window that we might place on a wall or somewhere around our desk or a 3D object for example a globe.
I’ve barely scratched the surface and only talked about how headsets can augment our traditional computing which in itself will be enough for some people to buy it. I know I would - being able to travel anywhere with just my headset a keyboard, trackpad and an infinite “monitor” is enough to sell it for me.
Getting this tech into “glasses” that people do wear all day, wherever they are will one day be the norm. Will everyone wear them? No, it will probably be similar to the pervasiveness of headphones and truly wireless earbuds. Will people look stupid? Maybe, but I think these glasses will end up being very inconspicuous and again, first iterations may be devices you only use at home or in the office.
Love your comment, some people just have a lot of limiting beliefs! Also, do not forget the even longer term Apple goal is to get rid of the glasses altogether, there are rumors Apple is working on AR/VR contact lenses! But we are probably talking years even after the lightweight AR/VR glasses!
