Apple’s rumored blended actuality headset looks as if the worst-kept secret in tech, and a brand new report in regards to the machine from The Information (its second this week) is chock stuffed with particulars in regards to the unannounced product’s turbulent improvement.
One of probably the most notable elements of the story is about Apple’s determination to go together with a standalone headset. At one level, Apple hadn’t but determined whether or not to maneuver ahead with a extra highly effective VR headset that may be paired with a base station or a standalone one. While Apple’s AR / VR chief Mike Rockwell apparently most well-liked the model with the bottom station — which included a processor that finally shipped because the M1 Ultra, in line with The Information — Apple executives selected to go together with the standalone product. Bloomberg reported related particulars in 2020.
That alternative has apparently had long-term results on the event of the headset. “By the time the decision was made, the device’s multiple chips had already been in development for several years, making it impossible to go back to the drawing board to create, say, a single chip to handle all the headset’s tasks,” The Information reported. “Other challenges, such as incorporating 14 cameras on the headset, have caused headaches for hardware and algorithm engineers.”
The report additionally contains particulars about Jony Ive’s continued session on the mission’s design even after his official departure from Apple. Ive “prefers” a wearable battery, maybe like what Magic Leap affords. But different prototypes have had the battery within the headset’s headband, and it’s unclear which shall be used within the remaining design, The Information says.
Apple reportedly confirmed the headset to its board of administrators final week, so it may very well be nearing a public reveal. That stated, it is probably not introduced till later this 12 months, and it won’t hit retailer cabinets till 2023, so we may very well be ready some time to strive it for ourselves. For additional down the road, Apple is growing a pair of AR eyeglasses that appear like Ray-Ban wayfarer glasses, however The Information says these are “still many years away from release.” (I’m curious how they’ll differ in model from Meta and Ray-Bans’ precise wayfarer-like glasses.)
