Rumors that Apple is working on an AR headset have been circulating for several years. Now well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed new details.
Apple's interest in augmented reality is an open secret. According to rumors and leaks, the company is working on at least one AR product - a headset. Now Kuo has confirmed to investors that the new product will not be released until 2022 at the earliest. This statement is in line with previous reports from DigiTimes and The Information, according to which the new AR headset will not debut before 2022. It will be based on Facebook's Oculus Quest and will have its own operating system based on iOS - rOS (Reality OS). According to Kuo, Apple is exploring touch panels, voice activation and head gestures as possible control methods. Unlike Facebook's product, the Apple headset will come in a slimmer design with lighter materials to enable it to be worn for longer periods of time.
Two new iPad models in the works
The glasses or headset will have a high-resolution display and will most likely rely on the computing power of the iPhone. Kuo then noted that Apple is working on two more iPad models that are due to be released at the end of this year and the beginning of next year. The devices will have 10.8-inch and 8.5- to 9-inch displays. This is what the note says via MacRumors:
We expect Apple to launch the new 10.8-inch iPad and 8.5-9-inch iPad mini models in 2H20 and 1H21, respectively. GIS will be the main supplier of touch panels. The two new iPad models will follow the iPhone SE product strategy and the selling points will be the affordable price and the adoption of fast chips. We believe GIS will be the main supplier of touch panels for these two new affordable iPad models as the company is the largest mid-size touch panel supplier thanks to Megasite's cost advantages. We believe two new affordable iPad models will contribute significantly to GIS's revenue as affordable models account for 60-70% of total iPad shipments.
Whether the otherwise accurate analyst will be right once again remains to be seen. More reports on Apple's AR headset can be found below. (Photo by monsitj / Bigstockphoto)
