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What to Expect From WWDC 2023: AR/VR Headset, 15-Inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, iOS 17, xrOS, macOS 14 and More

MacRumors said:


The 34th annual Worldwide Developers conference is less than a week away, and it's going to feature one of the most exciting keynote events that we've had in recent years.


Apple is expected to introduce its first new wearable since the launch of the Apple Watch, plus there are new Macs coming and notable features for iOS 17 and watchOS 10. This guide highlights everything rumored to be coming at WWDC 2023.

Hardware

We don't always get hardware at WWDC, and in fact, the event usually focuses on software. Every once in awhile, though, Apple has a new product to show off that's timed well for a June launch, and that's the case this year.

AR/VR Headset

Apple's AR/VR headset has been in active development for years now, and Apple has pushed it back several times to work out ongoing issues. We're expecting to get our first glimpse at the headset at WWDC, though it is not expected to officially launch until later in the year.

The headset is expected to have a thin and light design that will make it more comfortable to wear than competing products, and the lighter weight will be primarily facilitated by an external battery pack that's worn at the hip and connected to the headset through a USB-C cable. Apple wants the headset to weigh around 200 grams, which would be notably lighter than other options.


apple-ar-concept-2-ornange.jpg


Concept render by Ian Zelbo​

Battery life will come in at around two hours, but because it's using an external battery pack, batteries will be swappable for longer wear. The headset will support both virtual reality and augmented reality, with a physical Digital Crown-like button to switch between modes.

Leaked design information suggests the headset will be made from aluminum, glass, and carbon fiber, with a look that's not too far off from other VR headsets like the PlayStation VR 2 or the Oculus Quest 2. It will have a sleek front visor that's held on with an Apple Watch-like band, with a mesh that sits against the face.

Two 4K microOLED displays from Sony will offer high-resolution content in a 120-degree field of view, with Apple aiming for 5,000 nits brightness for HDR and 4,000 pixels per inch. HDR is not a typical feature for VR headsets, and that pixel density will outshine all competing headsets. Prescription lenses will be accommodated, and the internal lenses will be able to be adjusted to match the wearer's interpupillary distance.

More than a dozen cameras will track hand movements, leg movements, and facial gestures, plus iris scanning will be available for authentication. Capturing lower body movement is not something most headsets do, and Apple plans to use the cameras to track hand and eye gestures for control purposes. Users will, for example, be able to look at an on-screen item to select it, using hand gestures to interact with it. An "air-typing" feature will be available for text input, though Apple also plans to allow users to enter text with an iPhone, similar to how the Apple TV works. The cameras will also map the surrounding environment for augmented reality applications, with LiDAR scanners also included.

While the headset can connect to a Mac to display what's on the Mac's screen, it is designed to operate independently. There are two Mac-level M2 processors inside, one that's a higher-end chip and one that's a lower-end chip for powering sensors.

The AR/VR headset will run a new operating system that's likely to be called xrOS, with the xr standing for "extended reality." xrOS will be immediately familiar to iOS users, and Apple is developing dedicated apps for the device. Safari, Photos, Messages, Maps, Apple Music, FaceTime, and more will be optimized for a 3D interface, and it will also be able to run 2D iPad apps through a special 3D viewing experience, similar to how YouTube works on a device like the Meta Quest 2.

Apple is developing a dedicated Fitness+ app for the headset for those who want to use the device while exercising, and Health features will guide users through meditations. There will be a media focus with Apple planning to provide a dedicated TV app, and Apple is teaming up with companies like Disney and Dolby for content.

Apple is already working with gaming developers to help them update their existing content for mixed reality, and FaceTime will also be a focus. FaceTime will support one-on-one chats with realistic avatars featuring a user's actual face and body, while multi-person chats will use Memojis.

Rumored Key Features:... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: What to Expect From WWDC 2023: AR/VR Headset, 15-Inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, iOS 17, xrOS, macOS 14 and More
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Am I the only one who wants and waits for a wow 27"+ iMac that will get me to put my money on the table to get one?
 
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Allen_Wentz said:
Sorry but anyone who opines that 1998-2023 has been a period of stagnation for the company is in some fantasy world. Apple under Cook is now a $T entity; the world's largest most successful tech firm.
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You seem to be equating financial success with a lack of stagnation. Cook's reign has been the very definition of stagnation. Worse, he goes whichever way the wind blows. When Ive pushed his outlandish "style over function" designs, Cook didn't have the vision to see that it was wrong. Actually, he doesn't have any vision at all. Yes, Apple makes a lot of money based on the innovative products that Jobs introduced. Cook has just sat behind the cash register, ringing up sales. Nothing wrong with that - it makes shareholders happy. But don't confuse it with innovation.
 
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My money is still on a more affordable extended VR screen connected to a computer, that computer could also be an iPhone or iPad to make it portable.

We already have supercomputers in our pockets and on our desks, it seems a waste of resources to put another high end computer in VR glasses without a real added benefit as it would only replace that computer/iPhone. At the current level of tech I don’t see the benefit of a true standalone VR sollution.

But I’m just me and really exited to see what Apple will bring today, finally a real 3D product after years of augmented reality training on iPads.
 
Scoob Redux said:
You seem to be equating financial success with a lack of stagnation. Cook's reign has been the very definition of stagnation. Worse, he goes whichever way the wind blows. When Ive pushed his outlandish "style over function" designs, Cook didn't have the vision to see that it was wrong. Actually, he doesn't have any vision at all. Yes, Apple makes a lot of money based on the innovative products that Jobs introduced. Cook has just sat behind the cash register, ringing up sales. Nothing wrong with that - it makes shareholders happy. But don't confuse it with innovation.
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Apparently you do not consider Apple's SoC or Apple's Unified Memory Architecture or Apple's coming headset innovative. I do.
 
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Scoob Redux said:
You seem to be equating financial success with a lack of stagnation. Cook's reign has been the very definition of stagnation. Worse, he goes whichever way the wind blows. When Ive pushed his outlandish "style over function" designs, Cook didn't have the vision to see that it was wrong. Actually, he doesn't have any vision at all. Yes, Apple makes a lot of money based on the innovative products that Jobs introduced. Cook has just sat behind the cash register, ringing up sales. Nothing wrong with that - it makes shareholders happy. But don't confuse it with innovation.
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Yeah...Apple Silicon and Apple's M/A series gpus/cpus, providing independence and not being beholden to Intel's lackluster yearly performance gains is surely testament to your assertion.

"Actually, he doesn't have any vision at all."

YES! And tomorrow (Monday) morning's keynote presentation will surely support Cook not having any vision (pun intended).
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Wait until you see the car renders!!!

The windshield wiper assembly is apparently out of this world. The texture on the brake pads is like nothing before it. The spare tire socket & bolt are as innovative as it comes. All- and much more- coming to an endless stream of rumors near you. 🤪
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This actually makes me wonder if Apple will do mundane things like include a spare tire and jack. Seems like that’s admitting too much imperfection.

AppleCare+ for Car will change your tire for you. Didn’t get AppleCare+? Out of coverage tire change is $900. Or you can rent the home repair kit for $500 with a $9000 deposit and have ten days to change the tire and ship it back.
 
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jonen said:
I have not followed all of the updates, but I have been waiting / am in the market to buy the new 15" MBA. I'm confused why the rumors are still stating that it's expected to release with the M2. Can they not get the M2 Pro or M2 Max in there to justify the upsell?

Seems like a jab at consumers since we know the M2 is a year old and next year's MBA update would probably align both the 13" and 15" to the same chip... o_O
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Apple has a history, especially with the MacBook Air, of just updating it whenever they feel like. Remember they released the last Intel MacBook Air seven months before they released the M1 version and promptly dropped the Intel one down the memory hole.

It doesn’t have to make sense, they know people will buy it and when they update it people will buy that one too. Sad but true.
 
I hope WatchOS 10 gains more health tracking features. I will be disappointed if Apple only focuses on a UI design. Also, I expect the VR to be significantly cheaper than 3000$. This high price doesn’t make any sense at all.
 
Here is a leak for you: they will use the phrase...there is one more thing during the keynote.
 
srknpower said:
I hope WatchOS 10 gains more health tracking features. I will be disappointed if Apple only focuses on a UI design. Also, I expect the VR to be significantly cheaper than 3000$. This high price doesn’t make any sense at all.
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This really depends on what the product will be able to do for you, how it will be positioned and which other devices it possibly will replace at home. If it will somehow replace your big TV screen, your iPad and will offer you very new opportunities to run apps in VR / AR mode, then I can tell you they will do everything to justify the $3,000 price point.

I have the feeling that even if this device will cost +$3,000 it will be sold out within minutes.

Of course I hope it won't cost that much and don't support such a high price!
 
Weird that a Mac mini M2 Pro with 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD is a few dollars more expensive than a Mac Studio M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU and same RAM and SSD as the mini. The Mac Studio has more ports and better cooling than the mini, and the Max chip has higher memory bandwidth than the Pro chip.

Will the Mac Studio M2 Max keep the same price as the current Studio M1 Max? It would make it a much better deal than the mini M2 Pro.

Edit: I think the mini M2 Pro should get a price drop. And the 13.6" M2 MBA should get a $100 price drop too so the new 15" M2 MBA 16GB/512GB is not the same price as the 14" MBP.
 
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