- Kyle Chua
Apple Pushes Reveal Of 3,000USD Mixed Reality Headset To June
Apple is close to finally pulling the wrappings back on the long-rumoured mixed reality headset it has been developing over the past few years.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the Cupertino tech giant is set to reveal the so-called Reality Pro headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. The reveal was originally scheduled for April, according to earlier reports, but was pushed back a couple of months to allow developers to address software and hardware issues. The headset is expected to ship later in the year, and could cost as much as US$3,000.
What could perhaps help justify the Reality Pro's steep price is that it includes features that aren't found on other headsets like the Meta Quest Pro, for example. The device would reportedly ship with a 4K (3840 x 2160 pixel resolution) display for each eye, beating the Quest Pro's dual displays that each top out at 1,800 x 1,920 pixel resolution. To be fair though, the Quest Pro's starting price of US$1,500 is half that of the Reality Pro's.
Apple's headset is additionally said to feature an extensive array of cameras that'll allow for advanced tracking and gesture-based inputs. It might also require the user to wear an external battery pack while in use. Under the hood, it's expected to be powered by an M2 process with 16GB of RAM, which would likely enable it to outperform other headsets in the market today.
As for its software, it'll ship with the new xrOS operating system, with "xr" standing for extended reality, referring to both augmented and virtual reality. xrOS would supposedly feature an iOS-like interface that allows users to navigate using finger gestures and voice commands. It would include a lot of health-focused functions, not to mention new versions of Apple's core apps like Messages and Maps. The software's version of FaceTime could also feature full-body avatars during calls.
Gurman noted that the model to be revealed at WWDC is geared towards early adopters, enthusiasts and creators, which sort of explain the steep price. Apple is likely to use the same tech and release a more affordable headset down the line, though that won't come out until 2024 at the earliest.
Apple is set to reveal its long-rumoured mixed reality headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
The reveal was originally scheduled for April, according to earlier reports, but was pushed back a couple of months to allow developers to address software and hardware issues.
The headset, which is called Reality Pro, is expected to ship later in the year, and could cost as much as US$3,000.