Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality AR/VR headset could launch as early as next year, according to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The device is expected to offer both AR and VR capabilities to users. In the report, Gurman also goes in-depth about the headset’s capabilities and touches on its price.
Apple’s AR/VR headset to launch as early as next year
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman talks about Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR device which could be unveiled as early as 2022. Gurman does not specify in which quarter the device can be expected. He writes:
Apple is planning to unleash its own pricey device with advanced chips, displays, sensor, and avatar-based features as early as next year.
Gurman does specify Apple’s mixed reality headset will be ‘pricey.’ A previous report claimed that the rumored device could cost at least $3,000. However, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the device will cost around $1,000.
In his newsletter, Gurman also discusses if this device will play games or just focus on AR. The Bloomberg reporter says it will have “both AR and VR capabilities,” and that the tech giant will offer a “mixed reality experience that can handle games in high-quality virtual reality.”
Apple’s first headset will be of the mixed reality variety. That means it will have both AR and VR capabilities. While gaming can be done in both environments, virtual reality is what you want for seriously high-performance games with top-tier graphics. For Apple’s first headset, that’s what it’s shooting for: a mixed reality experience that can handle games in high-quality virtual reality with snappy chips and high-end displays.
Earlier in October, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the AR/VR headset will go into production by the fourth quarter of 2022. Previously, Kuo reported that the rumored headset might launch in Q2, 2022. Now, delays in the mass production schedule inherently push the launch time to late 2022 or early 2023.
The Augment Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) headset by design is allegedly similar to Facebook’s Oculus device but will be lightweight, less than 150 grams, for more comfortable all-day wear. To achieve that, the company will use Fresnel’s hybrid ultra-short focal length lenses and OLED displays with 3,000 PPI.
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