If Apple goes ahead with the VR headset, it would be a precursor to an eventual pair of AR glasses - a product that the company sees as far more mainstream but also more difficult to launch. It’s also discussed bundling an App Store with the device, which runs on an operating system dubbed “rOS” inside the company. Last year, Apple acquired a company called NextVR, which recorded events such as concerts and sports games in virtual reality. Virtual reality is still a somewhat nascent technology, with content beyond games still relatively limited. The company is also still grappling with what content and functionality it intends to ship with the device. That has slowed some decisions in the engineering process. The company has also faced delays conducting user testing and data collection. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted some development with Apple hardware engineers only being able to work on certain days from the office. It’s unclear if that function will be ready for the first version of the device or if it will ever leave the exploratory stage. The company is testing using the cameras for hand-tracking and is working on a feature where a user can type virtually in the air to input text. Prototypes of the headset, some of which are about the size of an Oculus Quest, include external cameras to enable some AR features. That’s a departure from the metal designs Apple uses for most products, though it has used plastic for devices like AirPods, that need to be light, and fabrics for the HomePod speaker to improve acoustics.
To further reduce the device’s weight, Apple is planning to use a fabric exterior. Read more: Apple’s AR and VR Headset Plans Altered by Internal Differences That’s similar to Facebook’s latest VR product, while Sony’s requires a PlayStation gaming console. The headset is designed to work as a standalone device, meaning it can operate on a battery rather than be plugged into a wall or a Mac. But that idea was squashed by Jony Ive, Apple’s design chief at the time, Bloomberg News reported last year. Apple is also discussing how it would implement prescriptions at the point of sale online and in retail stores.Īpple originally planned to include less powerful processors and offload much of the work to a hub in a user’s home that would wirelessly beam content to the headset. The company typically sells its devices in dozens of countries, many of which have different prescription rules. This may expose Apple to regulations governing the sale of products with prescriptions. And to address consumers with poorer eyesight, it developed a system where custom prescription lenses can be inserted into the headset over the VR screens, the people said. Apple removed the space VR gadgets usually reserve for users who need to wear eyeglasses, which brought the headset closer to the face and helped shrink the size. The powerful processors and the inclusion of a fan initially led to a device that was too large and heavy with some concern about neck strain in early testing. This product is several years away, according to the people, though Apple has previously targeted as early as 2023 to unveil it. The AR glasses, codenamed N421, are in an early stage known as “architecture,” meaning Apple is still working on underlying technologies. The headset, codenamed N301, is in a late prototype stage, but is not yet finalized so the company’s plans could change or be scrapped entirely before launch. Instead, the company is building a high-end, niche product that will prepare outside developers and consumers for its eventual, more mainstream AR glasses. This time, though, Apple isn’t looking to create an iPhone-like hit for its first headset. They asked not to be identified discussing private plans.Īpple’s typical playbook involves taking emerging consumer technology, such as music players, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, and making it reliable and easy to use for everyone. Apple has planned to launch the product as soon as 2022, going up against Facebook Inc.’s Oculus, Sony Corp.’s PlayStation VR and headsets from HTC Corp., the people said. AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view of the real world, will be more limited.
The initial device has confronted several development hurdles and the company has conservative sales expectations, illustrating how challenging it will be to bring this nascent consumer technology to the masses.Īs a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating.
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(Bloomberg) - Apple Inc.’s first crack at a headset is designed to be a pricey, niche precursor to a more ambitious augmented reality product that will take longer to develop, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
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