According to new media reports, Apple’s mixed reality headset will combine a number of familiar elements from other Apple devices. For example, a digital crown, as known from the Apple Watch, should enable switching between the virtual and physical world. So users literally spun the wheel to get back to reality. And the new generation of AirPods Pro, presented in 2022, is said to play an important role.
The report from The Information cites several anonymous sources within Apple. In part, the statements confirm what other media such as Bloomberg, Nikkei Asia and DigiTimes have already reported. Apple itself is silent on the matter and, apart from hints that augmented reality is an exciting topic, has not even officially confirmed that there are any plans in this direction. In the report, however, all sorts of details are mentioned that have not yet been read.
Equipped for spectacle wearers
For example, there should be glasses that are adapted to glasses wearers and can be magnetically attached to the headset. There is also talk of small motors that automatically adjust the lenses to the distance between the eyes of the wearer and thus ensure a 120-degree field of view that is said to be superior to that of other manufacturers. The materials used for the headset are aluminum, glass and carbon fiber.
The AirPods Pro of the second generation are of particular importance. The built-in H2 chip is said to be able to establish a connection with very low latency – a function that was previously unknown. For some applications, the possession of this AirPods Pro generation is even mandatory. There are also built-in speakers in the headset, but wearers would also have to buy wireless earphones for communication. The main concern here is data protection, so that bystanders cannot unintentionally overhear conversations.
When it comes to chips, Apple relies on a system-on-a-chip that contains the CPU, GPU and memory, as well as an additional image signal processor. Both allegedly communicate via a new streaming codec, which was necessary to achieve acceptable latency times. The battery is designed to be attached to the user’s waist and connects to the headset’s headband with a MagSafe-like magnetic cable. A battery charge lasts a maximum of two hours, but the batteries are replaceable.
Many displays, many cameras
Other reports that The Information’s article picks up on and agrees include saying the headset will have an outward-facing display on the front that’s meant to let other people know the facial expression of the headset wearer. A low frame rate, as with the always-on display, is intended to keep energy consumption low.
Inside the glasses, Sony 4K micro-LED displays would provide an overall 8K image on each eye. Each eye is also captured by at least one camera. This eye tracking should serve to calculate in advance where the user is looking in order to render the image in the best possible way and instead display blurry images in the corner of the eye – a measure to increase efficiency.
price and publication
Other cameras on the headset should also capture movements in addition to facial expressions. Lidar scanners on the device could be used for spatial detection, among other things. Allegedly, Apple had thousands of prototype units manufactured by its supplier Pegatron in China last year. Curiously, not a single one of them has appeared in leaked photos.
The information report, like other sources, assumes a price of over 3000 US dollars for the mixed reality headset. It remains unclear which user group Apple is targeting and how the applications should look like. The only thing that is certain is that gaming should not play a major role, but video conferences and educational apps should.
(mki)
