Apple is to enter the market with its own VR headset -apkrig
According to Bloomberg, Apple is to come up with its own VR headset in 2022, which should compete with the most powerful devices from HTC, Facebook (Oculus) and Sony with its specifications. The price of the device will be high, and at the same time, due to problems with the development of the headset and the circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Apple does not expect too high sales in the first wave. Nevertheless, the launch of the headset is key to the alleged strategy, to introduce augmented reality glasses a few years later, on which Apple has been working for several years.
Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman interprets the information from anonymous sources close to Apple’s plans, which indicate the expected repetition of the strategy, which has been used many times. So grab a technology or a specific device at the beginning of your cycle and make it a simple working product. Bloomberg points out that Apple did the same in the case of music players, smartphones and watches, and there is no reason to change anything on the working template. The difference, however, is that this time Apple will not crave a mass product, but a device for the demanding, which can potentially open the way for more mass-conceived AR glasses.
The N301 headset was to be reduced by the space normally offered by competing VR devices for spectacle users, to move the display closer to the eyes and to compensate for eye defects by the ability to insert corrective lenses directly into the headset.
As for the specific price, Bloomberg does not know the answer, but the people approached claim that the headset will be much more expensive than equipment from the listed competing companies. The cost of these devices typically ranges from 12,000 to 35,000, so it’s possible that if this information is credible, Apple may target the same group of people it reaches through your Mac Pro. Finally, sources say Apple is counting on selling one headset a day through its official stores – of which there are approximately 500 in the world – which would result in approximately 180,000 units sold in the first year.
However, the attraction is supposed to be the high resolution of the display and the overall performance allegedly exceeding the capabilities of the M1 chip, but this brings with it the problems mentioned in the introduction. The device was to be too large and heavy in the first stages of the prototype, which also caused cooling of the entire system, and therefore Apple had to focus on design changes compared to established standards. The N301 headset was to be reduced by the space normally offered by competing VR devices for spectacle users, to move the display closer to the eyes and to compensate for eye defects by being able to insert corrective lenses directly into the headset. However, Bloomberg speculates that precisely because of the need to procure prescription glasses on the part of the user, the adoption of the device may encounter legislation in some countries.
The way to solve the problem was, of course, to transfer the computing load to a computer, or any other hub to which the headset would connect. In the end, however, Apple had to opt for a completely autonomous battery-powered device, such as the Oculus Quest, and also use fabric instead of metal to cover the entire device. Thanks to external cameras, Apple wants to start testing AR functions via a VR headset, accompanied by standard environment tracking and also a hand for controlling elements in virtual reality. The latest snippet of information is the reminder that Apple bought NextVR last year, which focuses on broadcasts from cultural or sporting events to the VR space, a segment in which Apple could reach customers.
