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AR/VR

Apple

Is Apple AR/VR headset the future?

When it comes to new products, Apple prefers to wait and see rather than enter the market first, but the wait will soon be over. Apple’s headset is anticipated to be unveiled during WWDC 2023, the company’s developer conference, in 2023.

Apart from a few statements made by a few of Apple’s senior executives and a consistent stream of rumours, there is not much concrete proof that the headset actually exists despite years of rumours.

Apple
Image Source: tomsguide.com

Apple has most certainly not confirmed the headset’s existence. Analysts and enthusiasts, on the other hand, have been closely monitoring Apple’s operations and have been able to unearth hints regarding the headset’s specifications.

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The AR/VR gear, which is rumoured to cost around $3,000, will reportedly function with current iPadOS apps like the Camera, FaceTime, Books, Home, Messages, Photos, Safari, and more, according to a recent Bloomberg article.

It is anticipated that the Apple AR/VR headset will prominently emphasise gaming, maybe as a new way to access Apple Arcade, and will include a new Fitness+ experience, similar to the Meta Quest Pro, HTC Vive Cosmos, and Sony Playstation VR.

According to reports, Apple is preparing to introduce fresh collaboration tools via the Apple Freeform app, which will enable users to talk about and collaborate on material together, as well as the ability to utilise the AR/VR headset as a separate display for a connected Mac in the workplace. Users will be able to have lifelike avatars in virtual meeting rooms with immersive videoconferencing in mixed reality.

The article also states that the headgear should be able to operate a wide range of games, reading apps, and health services, as well as hundreds of thousands of other third-party iPad apps, with little modification.

As the possibility of a metaverse is discussed, more businesses are creating AR/VR headsets, and interest in the field is rising. As is customary for Apple, the tech behemoth waited for other businesses to test the waters and for public interest to grow before entering the fray.

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The Oculus Rift, the first contemporary AR/VR headset, went on sale in March 2016. Since then, Meta—which purchased Oculus in 2014—has continued to create and release VR/AR headsets, culminating in its most recent model, the Meta Quest Pro, which will be available in 2022.

When Apple ultimately made the decision to enter a market in the past, it revolutionised and dominated it, igniting interest and building expectations for the product. When the headset launches, it is reasonable to believe that Apple will have the same impact on the AR/VR space.

Meta

Finally, Meta’s AR/VR roadmap is out. Will Meta succeed again?

With a surge of AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) products, the parent company of Facebook, Meta now appears to be significantly investing in its metaverse plans.

Quest Pro, a premium virtual and augmented reality headset from Meta, was introduced in October of last year. According to reports, Meta plans to introduce its first set of smart glasses with a display in 2025 along with a smartwatch with a neural interface to operate them.

Meta
Image Source: theverge.com

According to the story, Meta’s AR glasses are anticipated to become available later in 2027. A Quest 3 headset is probably included in the social media juggernaut’s potential 2018 plan as well. In 2024, it might also reveal a headgear with the codename Ventura.

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The Verge reported that the potential roadmap for many AR and VR devices from Meta for the years 2023 through 2027 has been leaked. The Meta Quest 3 headset with mixed reality interactions will be revealed later this year, according to the story, which cites personnel of Meta’s Reality Labs division.

The main headset could be two times as thin and potent as the Quest 2 and is anticipated to cost more than it does at present. The Verge reported that the potential roadmap for many AR and VR devices from Meta for the years 2023 through 2027 has been leaked.

The Meta Quest 3 headset with mixed reality interactions will be revealed later this year, according to the story, which cites personnel of Meta’s Reality Labs division.

The main headset could be two times as thin and potent as the Quest 2 and is anticipated to cost more than it does at present.

According to the report, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company intends to release a more “accessible” headset next year under the codename Ventura. The firm might then release an advanced headgear with photorealistic Codec Avatars, code-named La Jolla.

Additionally, the report claims that the company will introduce the second-gen of its Ray-Ban Stories this fall. The glasses for augmented reality were created in collaboration with Luxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban.

The third version of smart glasses with a “viewfinder” display for reading incoming texts, scanning QR codes, and instantly translating written text from another language is expected to be unveiled by the company in 2025.

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The “neural interface” band that will enable individuals to operate the glasses through their brains will be distributed along with them.

The “neural interface” band, which would enable users to operate the glasses through hand gestures, will be made available along with the glasses. According to other reports, Meta is also working on a smartwatch that will sync with smart glasses.

Additionally, it has been reported that Meta may reveal its long-rumored Orion augmented reality glasses to staff members internally in 2024. It might be accessible to everyone after 2027.

xrOS

Apple renames mixed-reality software ‘xrOS’ ahead of expected AR/VR headset

According to rumors, Apple has renamed its mixed-reality operating system from “reality” to “xrOS” indicating that it may soon be introducing an AR/VR headset.

xrOS
Image Source: indianexpress.com

Apple company is intensifying work on a mixed-reality AR-VR headset, its first significant new product line since the Apple Watch. Bloomberg reported that a shell company named Deep Dive LLC had been registering the xrOS trademark across numerous nations.

This company is anticipated to be connected to Apple. Apple’s rumored “reality,” the operating system for their specific AR and VR platform, may now go by the name “xrOS.” Apple may sell its hybrid AR/VR headset by next year, claims Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. Apple is reported to be developing a VR or AR headset, and that gear requires its very own operating system to function.

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The new OS name makes reference to the mixed-reality features of the headset. The extended reality, also known as “XR,” is a concept that includes both virtual and augmented reality. While virtual reality is an immersive experience for games and watching videos, augmented reality adds visuals and virtual info to the real environment.

According to a 2017 report, Apple’s headset would include its own processor and display in addition to having a separate operating system. At the time, the software was known as “rOS.” At least three AR and VR headsets are reportedly in the works at Apple. The “Apple Reality Pro,” a designation for the headset that appeared in trademark applications in late August, is claimed to be the N301.

With a probable release in 2023, the headset is anticipated to be a mixed-reality competitor to the Meta Quest Pro. It appears that the N602 will be the second-generation model, with two variations available to customers. One will offer improvements over the previous model, whereas another will be a less expensive substitute. The third, the N421, is said to resemble Apple Glass smart glasses more than a headset.

Apple’s foray into the market puts it in a fight with Meta Platforms which is relying less on Apple products and is counting on the metaverse. The action is also a component of Apple’s ongoing search for its “next big thing.” With the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015, the corporation transformed its wearables operation into a segment that now contributes $41.2 billion to its annual revenue or over 10% of all sales.

Apple’s initial headset launch might feature a set of 4K OLED displays, 15 camera modules strewn about the outside, and probable functionality for eye tracking and hand gestures. It is currently estimated to be in an “advanced” state of development.

The initial wave might potentially include costly headgear, with suggested prices as high as $3,000. The headset is meant to be worn for communication, viewing content, and playing video games. Apple is allegedly developing native mixed reality-compatible versions of popular apps like Messages and Maps.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has made a point of expressing his passion for augmented reality over recent years, and the corporation has developed a framework called ARKit that enables iPads and iPhones to run AR applications.