Apple's upcoming AR/VR headset - also known as a mixed reality headset - will have a Digital Crown for switching to the real world, a removable battery pack, small motors to automatically adjust the lenses, and more, according to a report.
The paid report by The Information allegedly reveals a whole range of previously unknown specific features for the new Apple headset. The brand new product is said to offer the following features:
- A battery that is connected to the headset's headband via a magnetic, MagSafe-like power cable. One battery charge lasts for a maximum of two hours, but users can replace the battery for longer sessions.
- The design is made of aluminum, glass and carbon fiber to reduce size and weight, and the cameras are largely hidden for aesthetic reasons.
- A small dial similar to the Digital Crown on the right side that allows users to quickly switch between the virtual and physical worlds. Unlike the Apple Watch, it will not offer haptic feedback.
- Apple has developed several headbands, including one for consumers made from a similar material to the Apple Watch sport bands with built-in speakers, and one for developers.
- Magnetically attached, individual lenses for glasses wearers.
- Small motors automatically adjust the inner lenses to the wearer's eye distance, ensuring the largest possible field of vision for each individual.
- A 120-degree field of view, like the Valve Index – more than the 106-degree field of view of the Meta Quest Pro.
- The H2 chip for an ultra-low latency connection with the second generation AirPods Pro and future AirPods models.
- Two chips, including a main SoC with CPU, GPU and memory, and a dedicated image signal processor. Both are manufactured using the 5nm process, meaning the headset won't benefit from the advances expected for other Apple chips later this year. The chips communicate using a special streaming codec that Apple had to develop due to unacceptable latency.
- The special ISP translates the distorted images captured by the external cameras into a faithful video representation of the user's surroundings with low latency. The chip contains a special high-bandwidth memory from SK Hynix.
- The ability to run existing iOS apps in 2D.
Apple AR/VR headset prefers AirPods
Third-party Bluetooth headphones apparently don't work well with the headset and suffer from excessive latency. Additionally, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack on the device. Apple has focused on ensuring that current and future AirPods models operate with low latency when paired with the headset. Both the second-generation AirPods Pro and the headset contain the H2 chip, which is said to offer an "ultra-low latency" mode when paired together. Apple has also discussed whether AirPods should be required for communication with the headset to better protect privacy. Early prototypes of the headset used large external power tool batteries strapped around the wearer's waist before Apple integrated the battery directly into the headband, as with the Meta Quest Pro.
A gaming controller will not be included
Apple has reportedly returned to using a battery pack worn on the hip and connected to the headband by a cable—a design championed by Apple's former design chief, Sir Jony Ive. Previously, it was said that the headband would be interchangeable like Apple Watch bands. However, this is no longer the case, as engineers encountered technical issues with the headband serving as a power conduit for the headset. Apple is said to prefer hand tracking and voice recognition to control the headset, but has also tested a "magic wand" and a "thimble" as alternative input methods. A dedicated gaming controller is not expected to be included with the headset. Apple does not appear to be particularly focused on gaming with the device. However, the company plans to allow Unity to be the first partner to offer full VR experiences in the headset using its game engine.
Apple's Mixed Reality Headset: Additional Features
According to the report, Apple is focusing on on-device video conferencing with digital avatars that mimic users' facial expressions and body movements with high accuracy. The company has also developed software that allows users to perform activities such as dragging the Maps app from a Mac screen to display a 3D model of a city on a table. The Information also confirmed some previously revealed features. Here is a list:
- The headset has a large, outward-facing display on the front. It can show the facial expressions of the headset wearer to people around to reduce the feeling of isolation when using the device.
- The outward-facing display has an extremely low refresh rate and low power consumption, similar to the always-on display of the Apple Watch and iPhone 14 Pro.
- Inside there are Micro-OLED displays for each eye with a 4K resolution from Sony, which together create an 8K image.
- Each eye is tracked by at least one camera, allowing the headset to accurately display the user's gaze on an avatar. Eye tracking also allows the headset to perform foveated rendering to save power by rendering images at full resolution only where the user is looking.
- More than a dozen cameras and sensors capture both facial expressions and body movements, including the user's legs. Apple apparently removed the cameras that capture eyebrow and jaw movements when it developed the machine learning for them.
- Short- and long-range LiDAR scanners to capture surfaces and distances in three dimensions.
The report states that Apple supplier Pegatron produced thousands of prototypes of the headset at a factory near Shanghai last year, which went through several prototyping phases and entered technical validation testing. The device was originally scheduled to hit the market in 2022, but a launch is now expected later this year. In addition, Apple is said to have discussed a price of $3,000 or more for the headset, depending on the configuration, according to four people familiar with the matter, as reported by The Information. (Image: Rendersbyjan)
