AR/VR headsets - page 2

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That old rumor about a HomePod with a built-in display for FaceTime calls and smart-home wizardry resurfaces. But this time, some fresh details make Erfon even more cranked up than usual about Apple’s smart speaker.

Also on The CultCast:

• It sounds like Tim Cook pulled a power move on Apple’s design team to make sure the company foists an expensive AR/VR headset on the masses sooner rather than later. Who’s excited? Show of hands?!?
• Apple TV+ racks up another Oscar, and Erfon is almost intrigued enough to resubscribe. (Especially if his “get three months free” trick works again.)
• The baton’s about to wave on Apple Music Classical. We’re all quivering with excitement!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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The in-air typing mode that Apple is testing for its first AR/VR headset sounds like a sci-fi dream — but at this point, it might be more of a nightmare. The feature reportedly has been “finicky in testing” on Apple’s latest secret prototypes.

For that reason, users might prefer to pair the headset to an iPhone for text input, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

A new report from a reliable tipster indicates that the second-generation of Apple’s VR/AR headsets will launch in 2025. This will supposedly consist of two models.

But Apple still needs to get the first generation on the market, and it’s possible the release date for the product is slipping yet again.

Earlier reports that Apple’s VR/AR headset will launch this spring were apparently overly optimistic — the latest leak points to a debut at the company’s annual developers conference in June.

If so, it’s likely to overshadow the new iOS and macOS versions also coming at WWDC23. But that probably would have happened even if the device had been unveiled months earlier, as it’ll include a new operating system for third-party developers to write applications for.

Those eager for their first glimpse at Apple’s VR/AR headset should check out a concept design that might well be our best look yet at a product supposedly coming later this year.

It’s heavily based on leaked info about the upcoming virtual reality/augmented reality device — possibly called the “Reality Pro” — but with style added.

New leaked details about Apple’s upcoming VR headset show the company is learning from mistakes made by makers of rival devices. Most notably, it’s reportedly creating a headset — possibly called “Reality Pro” — that will offer more realistic avatars, and won’t require the user to hold controllers in their hands.

Here are five ways Apple’s not making the same errors as Meta and other companies.

After testing a version of Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset with an internal battery, the company’s engineers have resorted to using a separate battery pack connected by a wire, according to a new report about the secret project.

Other technical details emerged Tuesday about the long-rumored headset as well. The cutting-edge device reportedly delivers a surprisingly short two-hour battery life. And it reportedly comes with an H2 chip to pair with AirPods Pro, a dual-chip architecture that supports more than a dozen built-in cameras, and an adjustable dial to turn VR on and off.

Every year, Apple launches a handful of products that stand out from the competition. 2023 is going to be no different, but next year will be special for Apple in many ways.

The company could enter a new product category with its AR/VR headset, and the iPhone could get some major hardware upgrades. Below is a roundup of five Apple product launches to look forward to in 2023.

The AR/VR headset likely coming from Apple in 2023 will not be the company’s next smash hit. It will have fans, just not huge numbers of them.

But this first headset will be an important stepping stone toward an Apple device that will change the world.

Apple’s AR/VR headset might launch later than anticipated in 2023. Instead of a Q2 2023 debut, Apple might release the headset in the year’s second half.

The delay, reportedly due to “software-related issues,” will impact the AR/VR headset’s shipment numbers for the year.

Apple’s much-rumored AR/VR header won’t use Face ID or Touch ID. Instead, the mixed-reality device will reportedly scan the iris of the wearer’s eye to identify them.

Perhaps the feature will be called Eye ID.

The long-anticipated Apple early fall event is just around the corner. On September 7, executives will take to the stage at Apple Park to unveil an array of new products.

Here’s everything we’re expecting at the “Far Out” event, plus the devices we’ll likely have to wait until later in the year to see.

Apple is reportedly working on at least three AR/VR headsets. The company will first launch the “Apple Reality Pro” headset, which would directly rival Meta’s upcoming Quest Pro headset.

Companies working with Apple have reportedly filed for trademarks in multiple countries that might relate to Apple’s upcoming virtual reality and augmented reality headset. They are variations on “Reality,” and it’s possible the filings reveal the name for the device.

The Apple VR/AR headset could be unveiled as easily as the Mac-maker’s September 7 product lunch event.

Both Apple and Meta (formerly Facebook) are both building AR/VR headsets, but they’re going about it in dramatically different ways. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly told Meta employees the two companies are in “a competition of philosophies and ideas.”

It’s possible the metaverse is the future of the internet. And Zuckerberg describes Meta as being a leader in creating an open metaverse with multiple companies working together, while he says Apple is creating its own closed version.

But Zuckerberg’s comments ignore another major philosophical difference between the twin companies. Apple believes in protecting user privacy, but Meta makes its money by collecting and selling information about users.

Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the company’s rumored AR/VR headset during an interview with Chinese state-affiliated media on June 14.

He expressed his excitement about augmented reality and the opportunities in this space.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple’s AR/VR headset won’t ship until the second quarter of 2023 due to delays caused by COVID-19 lockdowns in China.

Apple made no mention of its long-rumored AR headset, or the realityOS platform upon which it reportedly will operate, during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote — as predicted by Kuo himself. However, the company could announce the headset at a special media event next January, according to the analyst.

Apple could use ultrasonic sound waves to deliver haptic feedback to wearers of its upcoming AR/VR headset when they interact with virtual objects.

Most consumer AR/VR headsets do not provide haptic feedback like that, but some high-end ones feature a basic vibration motor that does not give the desired effect. However, Apple’s new patent filings suggest it wants to solve this issue on its AR/VR headset by using ultrasonic sound waves.

Apple is unlikely to showcase its long-rumored AR/MR headset — or even demo the realityOS that powers it — at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

His mood-dampening remarks follow lots of buzz in recent weeks that indicated Apple finally would take the wraps off the secret project at WWDC22.

The reason? There’s still a lot of time before the headset enters mass production. And Apple doesn’t want its competitors to steal its ideas and rush a copycat to market, Kuo said.

On Sunday, when people noticed “realityOS” trademarks set for international filing on June 8, mad speculation flew that at least the software platform for Apple’s planned AR/VR headsets could be rolled out at WWDC22, which gets underway June 6.

And while it’s tantalizing speculation with other supporting evidence, there is reason for doubt, too. Especially since a reputable analyst threw cold water on the idea on Tuesday, contradicting others.