Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset: What we know so far

We recently learned that Apple‘s upcoming mixed reality AR/VR headset won’t be joining the metaverse, but we just found out that it might use the same 96W power adapter as the MacBook Pro 14, which means it would use the same amount of power as the M1 MacBook Pro.

Since this project is still a “secret” and not officially public yet, none of this information can be 100% confirmed, but they come from trusted Apple analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo. Let’s go over what we know so far about Apple’s secret headset project.

Apple’s mixed reality headset

That 96W power adapter means it’s probably using very high-performance parts. Reports from The Information show that the headset features two 8K OLED displays, one for each eye. There will also be 15 cameras in total for hand tracking as well as possibly eye-tracking. There are rumours that it will run on an M1 chip, but the processor won’t be as powerful as the ones found in the MacBook or the iPhone. There is also reason to believe that it could support Wi-Fi 6E, which builds upon the current Wi-Fi 6 standard.

Since the headset uses so much power, it would be interesting to see if it has any heating issues. The MacBook Air M1 doesn’t have a fan, but still offers impressive power so we’ll have to wait and see if they add a fan to the headset.

When it comes to mixed reality headsets, there are not a lot of examples in the real world right now. Acer has the Windows Mixed Reality Headset, but the technology and platform don’t seem to be there yet. If Apple gets this right, it could be really interesting to see what sort of applications would be possible with the device. The AR will probably work by capturing what’s in front of you and displaying that to your eyes with the screens.

Design-wise, the headset has been described so far as “sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.” The current headset prototypes weigh around 200 to 300 grams, but Apple aims to reduce the weight to 100 to 200 grams. With some descriptions, as well as sketches from The Information, artist Antonio De Rosa came up with some concept renders for the headset.

Apple has filed for multiple VR/AR patents throughout the year including these ones in 2008, which include a goggle-like video headset with two adjustable optical modules for vision correction and a “personal display system”.

As for the name of the device, we have no idea. People are calling it things like ‘Apple Glasses’ and ‘Apple Reality’, but these are all just guesses.

Reportedly, Apple will release their headset in 2022 or 2023 for around USD 3,000 (~RM12,585). This is pricey, but we really haven’t seen anything like this before. I’m personally excited about how this project could pan out. What about you?

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