A rumored Apple headset with mixed reality could, according to a new report, have a range of high-eye and hand-tracking sensors and cameras, interchangeable headbands, and a visor-like design.
The device can have more than a dozen cameras for detecting hand movements and for showing users a video input from the world. It can also have advanced eye-tracking technology and ultra-high-resolution 8K screens, along with a host of other features, The information Reported Thursday.
Apple MR Headphone Features
Late-stage prototypes and concept images of the device show a curved visor-like form factor with a mesh material and interchangeable headbands on the face. The information created a draft version of the headset based on images of Apple’s prototypes.
Credit: the information
Instead of an AR device (pure augmented reality), sources within Apple said that the sight is referred to internally as an MR device, because of its “ability to combine virtual reality experiences with games and other applications that have objects around the environment. person wearing the headset. ‘
Currently, the focus may be on games or possibly productivity and education applications. The device, codenamed N301, assumes a carrier in a fully virtual environment like Oculus Quest. It will also block the peripheral vision of a user, but will give a glimpse of the world around him to create a mixed reality effect.
In addition to hand and eye detection, Apple is also developing other control mechanisms for this. One possible method is a thimble-like device worn on the user’s finger, which enables them to control software. It is not clear whether the accessory will be combined with it or sold separately.
Some prototypes also have a physical knob or crown on the side. All versions appear to have LIDAR technology, which Apple already uses in its iPhone and iPad Pro series to quickly map objects and environments.
An external screen on the device may display users’ information when not in use. Interchangeable headbands can feature spatial audio technology such as the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro. Users can charge it with a cable, though Apple is also working on an interchangeable headband with extra battery life.
According to Apple sources, the MR device will be equipped with internal chips. Apple also plans to reduce computing power by plunging lower-quality graphics into a user’s peripheral vision. The recording of 8K screens will make the overall picture quality much higher than other headphones for consumers, and even most high-end televisions.
Apple MR Headphones Release Date and Price
The device can already be shipped in 2022. Apple apparently tapped Pegatron to mount it. Due to the complexity of the device and the risk of entering a new market for niche products, Apple may finally decide to remove the project.
Price can increase the risk. In 2020, Apple allegedly discussed that the price of the device is about $ 3,000 – more expensive than a MacBook Pro, but cheaper than Microsoft’s $ 3,500 HoloLens.
Initially, Apple talked about a goal to ship about 250,000 units of the device in the first year of release. This is mainly due to the high price.
Apple’s past augmented and virtual reality works
Apple has been developing virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technology for years. In addition to rumors about various headphone devices and his public work on ARKit, the Cupertino technology giant also has a bunch of patents related to devices worn with headsets.
Many of the patents and patent applications focus on eye tracking, which according to the MR headset features. Other patents incorporate various systems, including technology to prevent users from crashing into real-world objects while immersed in a virtual environment.
In March 2020, an early iOS 14 leak also suggested that Apple was working on control-like accessories for a virtual reality product.
The MR headphones are also not the same device as Apple’s rumored “Apple Glass”. It is said that the device has a more spectacle-like device, a much lower price point and a greater focus on complementing an iPhone in the daily life of a user.
Back in September 2020, a former Apple CEO predicted that Apple’s first foray into head-on visual devices would be a virtual reality – rather than an augmented reality – device.
According to The information, Apple is still working on some “lightweight smart glasses designed to place objects on a person’s view of the real world.” This device, which faces steep technological barriers, is still years away from release.
In October 2019, Apple plans to ship its MR headset by 2022 and its ‘Apple Glass’ AR device by 2023. The plans may have changed