Apple reportedly to announce a Mixed AR/VR Headset.

Reports have come out that have strongly suggested that Apple has fairly recently shown their Board of Directors a Mixed Reality Headset that is capable of both Augmented as well Virtual Reality, with Apple’s Engineers reportedly hard at work on developing an Operating System for this Headset.

The History of the Device

Although seemingly a fairly new piece of information, prior reports however indicate a contrary story that shows that this Headset or a similar device of its nature, has been in the works within Apple for quite sometime now. Reports have further shown that Apple’s Board of Directors have gotten to test a demo of a few AR/VR Devices that were still in their Prototype phase, in 2016. Moreover, it is also highlighted that these Devices were in extremely early stages of development, as some were noticeably modified versions of HTC Vives, while others were attached to a miniature crane in order to keep the weight of the headset off the Board Members’ heads and necks. If anything, this report solidifies the fact that these early-development AR/VR devices were mostly made to act as Concept Testing Gadgets for the Board Members themselves in order to get proper funding for the actual project to get started. This sort of behavior is not out of the norm for Apple, as it is noted that the Company’s Board of Directors have actually gotten demo of Apple’s numerous prolific products years prior to the actual product’s Worldwide release, such as the early demo showcasing to the Board of Directors of Apple’s Virtual Assistant Siri in 2011.

The Technicalities of the Device

Reportedly built to run on a whole new Operating System, Apple has wisely chosen to focus more on the Hardware side of things first compared to the Software of the Device, as in accordance with the features and specifications of the Hardware, the Company can build a perfectly compatible Software. The Software in question is to be known as ‘Reality OS’ or rOS, and it is currently ramping up development to be specifically used for running this Headset. The Device itself will be capable of unprecedented operations related to both AR and VR. Reports have indicated that the Headset will be fully capable of immersing the User in a Virtual Environment, as well as implementing Virtual Content into the Real World itself which will be made possible through the use of a 'Pass-through Video Feed'. In terms of the Headset’s appearance, it will reportedly utilize Cameras on its exterior in order to stream High-resolution content on the interior of the Headset, this technique is the Pass-through Video Feed, as highlighted above. Furthermore, in terms of its Form Factor, the Headset will come with an Air Pods Max’s type of fabric and a headband which will looks identical to an Apple Watch band loop.

The AR/VR Market: Competitors and Challenges

Although many reports have stated that the Headset is planned for a 2023 release, however judging the state of the Industry in present-times, it become quickly evident that the underlying technology is not quite there yet in terms of the other few features that have come out regarding the Headset such as Transparent Lenses and Weight equal to that of a normal pair of sunglasses. With this in mind, the release date of 2023 does not seem realistic, this along with the fact that Apple is not alone in the AR/VR Market, as Meta has also announced to be actively working on a similar device known currently as ‘Project Cambria’. With Meta already selling its Virtual Reality Headset Quest in the Market and Google also previewing Smart Glasses Prototype, clearly indicates that the AR/VR Market is the way to go for these Tech Giant Companies. This leaves Apple in a Market that already has the potential to become and indefinitely remain strongly competitive yet extremely profitable for the foreseeable future.