We've long heard rumors that Apple is working on an AR (augmented reality) or VR headset, and now it looks like the laptop could be less than a year away, with a late 2022 launch date announced.
This is what Ming-Chi Kuo (an analyst with excellent experience in Apple leaks) says, in an investigation report consulted by MacRumors.
According to Kuo, the headset will be capable of AR and VR, the latter powered by a pair of Sony's 4K Micro OLED displays. Apparently it will be powered by a chipset similar to the M1 we've seen in some Macs and the 2021 iPad Pro.
This is a higher chipset class than you'll find in the iPhone lineup, so the Apple VR headset could be even more powerful than the iPhone 14, which could land around the same time.
Kuo says that all that power means it can work independently of an iPhone or Mac, and that it will include a second low-end processor that will power the device's sensors. This secondary processor will apparently be necessary due to the myriad of sensor-related issues.
For example, it will apparently have "at least 6-8 optical modules to simultaneously provide streaming video transparency AR services to users."
So it sounds like an incredible hack, and while we take it with a pinch of salt, Kuo is often right, and claims about the end of the 2022 release date are consistent with other sources.
Our main concerns are simply the price, which a previous leak had valued at around € 3,000 (around € 2,250 / AU € 4,200), and battery life, which could be an issue with so much technology.
Analysis: first a helmet, then glasses, then the world
If the leaks are to be believed, Apple's AR / VR headsets are just the first step, and the company plans to wear Apple glasses for some time to come. It would also be an AR device, but it would probably be much fancier, more like glasses than headphones. Think of a more polished version of Google Glass.
And with these products, the days of the iPhone could be numbered, as in the same research report detailing AR headphones, Kuo claimed (according to 9to5Mac) that he believes the iPhone will be replaced by AR devices within ten years.
That's part of the reason he's convinced that the Apple AR headphones will work without being tethered to a phone, as Apple doesn't want it to be just an accessory, the company apparently wants it (or a similar wearable device) one day. will be your main. Smart device.