There have been reports on Apple building a mixed-reality headset, which is probably the company’s next major product. Apple has already announced that it is freezing hiring in some areas and it seems the mixed reality headset project does not come under that purview. There have been various reports about the device. Here is a brief on what we know about Apple’s highly-anticipated mixed reality headset.
Apple is building a team to fine-tune the headset
Apple is looking for engineers who can work on development tools geared toward virtual and augmented reality. It is also on the hunt for a software producer with experience in visual effects to work on its project. Apple wants a person for the development of a 3D mixed-reality world, suggesting that Apple is working on a metaverse-like virtual environment.
“Job listings and personnel changes at the company give a preview of some of the device’s capabilities,” Gurman notes. It is to be noted that Apple acquired NextVR in 2020.
Apple mixed reality headset launch and price (rumoured)
Apple mixed reality headset may be priced between $2,000 (approximately Rs 1,62,500) and $3,000 (approximately Rs 2,43,750). In comparison, Facebook-parent Meta launched the Quest Pro headset for $1,499 (approximately Rs 1,21,800). Apple’s offering may hit shelves sometime in 2023.
Apple mixed reality headset name (rumoured)
It seems that Apple is yet to decide on the name of its mixed reality headset. It could potentially have the “Reality” moniker in the full name, given that the potential OS name has the word “reality” in it and existing Apple AR development tools are named RealityKit. In August, it was reported that Apple trademarked the “Reality Pro” and “Reality One” names. This suggests that the company is deciding between those two brands for the device.
Apple mixed reality headset specifications (rumoured)
Apple mixed reality headset is likely to be expensive because it is a high-end product. Reports suggest that it will pack an M2 chip, which is currently available in the company’s most powerful laptops. The device may also get more than 10 cameras placed both outside and inside the device.
The headset is also said to sport “the highest-resolution displays ever featured in a mass-market headset.” It could run a new operating system dubbed realityOS. The OS is said to include mixed-reality versions of core Apple apps like Messages, FaceTime and Maps. As per Gurman, the “first version of the operating system, codenamed Oak, is wrapping up internally and should be ready for the new hardware next year.”
