This is a big moment for Apple.
On Monday, June 5th, at the WWDC conference at Apple Park in Cupertino, the company will likely unveil an entirely new product category, a gadget unlike anything Apple has released to date.
What is its (probably) name? It may have a new operating system called Reality Pro. xrOS.
Nothing official at this point, but multiple reports point to Apple unveiling the headset at WWDC. Yes, we heard similar rumors last year, but this time Apple sent out invitations to outlets specifically focused on virtual and augmented reality. This is pretty much confirmation that that sort of thing is coming up.
So what do we know about Apple’s first-ever mixed reality headset? With the caveat that it’s all hearsay at this point and rumors may not always be true when it comes to future Apple products. So it’s actually quite a lot.
Apple Mixed Reality Headset Names, Prices and Designs
First is the name.Most sources agree that the name of the upcoming product will most likely be Reality Pro, but Apple Trademarked There are several other similar names like “Reality One” and “Reality Processor”.
From what we’ve heard, Reality Pro will be very different from Apple’s usual product announcements. First, it’s expensive ($3,000 I believe) and aimed primarily at developers. And, reports say, it won’t be as polished as Apple’s previous offerings. It must be connected to an external battery via a cable.
This external battery pack, while certainly not ideal, has the potential to make Apple’s headset itself much more comfortable and lighter than, say, Meta’s Quest headset. Apple plans to use fancy materials like aluminum, glass, and even carbon fiber to keep the headset lightweight, with an elastic band on the back to slip over your head. Apple designs often differ from rumors and reports, so take everything with a grain of salt.
One design element should be familiar to Apple Watch users. The headset has digital crown This is mainly used to switch between virtual and augmented reality. Yes, you should be able to shut down anyone around you by simply turning a small knob on the side of the device.
Spec predictions for the Apple Reality Pro headset
The new headset will likely feature one or two M2 level chips, a 4K OLED display from Sony, and 10+ cameras (both inside and outside) for tracking eye movements and hand gestures. I have it.there is also report Apple plans to integrate an iris scanner as a secure means of identification for logins and payments.
These two chips make the headset extremely powerful, with far more processing power than anything else on the market today. Apple may use all that processing power to keep the whole experience running smoothly, but it’s also possible that the headset will be able to run some fancy games.
A note on mixed reality, which sits between virtual reality and augmented reality. The idea here is not to block the outside world by wearing a headset on your head. Instead, it uses the headset’s camera to allow the wearer to see their surroundings. And with a high-definition camera, a powerful chip, and a new streaming he codec reportedly developed by Apple, the wearer should be able to see what’s going on around them with near-zero latency and with great fidelity. Of course, that’s not all. Apple will be able to blend virtual objects seamlessly with the real world, enabling new types of experiences never before available on Apple devices.
The Reality Pro headset reportedly has a 2-hour battery life, which seems pretty short compared to other Apple gadgets. However, this is in line with what Meta’s Quest 2 headset offers.
What you need to know about xrOS
As for the included xrOS, reports say it feels the same as Apple’s other operating systems, but is configured very differently. In other words, it combines eye movement tracking with hand gestures to perform a variety of tasks. It also needs its own App Store and the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps.
One of the odd predictions about this headset is that users will be able to create animated objects in virtual reality simply by speaking to Siri.
Reality Pro launches with a sizable range of apps, including apps you already know like Safari, Maps, Apple Music, FaceTime (virtual video chat is likely to be a key selling point), as well as new apps. I’m pretty sure it will. .bloomberg report Whether it’s games, portals for watching sports, ways to use headsets as external “monitors” for your Mac, collaboration tools, or new fitness experiences, there will be something for everyone, he said.
You can connect the headset to your iPhone or Mac, but it’s not required for operation. Reality Pro should be a completely standalone device.
Will you continue?
Incidentally, this is just the first of several AR/VR/MR products Apple is working on, and rumors have it that others aren’t that close to launch at this point. According to some reports, a second one could arrive in 2024 or 2025, priced closer to the iPhone.
