‘Apple’s AR/VR glasses must be connected to iPhone to work’
There have been rumors for years about Apple AR/VR glasses, also known as Apple Glass in the corridors. According to a new rumor, the glasses only work in combination with an iPhone, just like the Apple Watch.
Read on after the ad.
No Apple AR/VR experience without iPhone
According to a new rumor from The Information Apple’s long-awaited AR/VR glasses only work if users also have an iPhone. This makes the glasses work similar to the Apple Watch – Apple’s smart watch that also turns into a ticking greenhouse plant without an iPhone.
Although an iPhone is needed to get the most out of the headset, it is possible that Apple will build in a ‘standalone mode’. This allows users to use a limited number of functions without an active iPhone connection. That is because the AR / VR glasses are expected to simply have a CPU and GPU on board.
According to the source, the iPhone performs most of the heavy tasks required to make the AR/VR glasses work. The 5 nanometer chip in the glasses themselves is much less powerful than the well-known A-chip of the iPhone. For example, the chip will not get a Neural Engine on board and machine learning and AI will not be involved either.
The CPU, on the other hand, is optimized for wireless data transfer. Compressing and decompressing video is also an important task of the chip. Because it is not a full-fledged processor, we can expect a relatively long battery life.
When will Apple’s AR/VR glasses finally see the light?
The trusted TSMC produces the chips for the headset. Mass production would take at least another year. The first AR/VR headset could theoretically be released as early as 2022, but the launch could also take place in 2023 or 2024. Apple usually doesn’t announce new products until the company is completely sure that the technology is ‘perfect’.
Apple is coming according to MacRumors also with several models of AR/VR glasses. The website writes that Apple will come with a slim and small model of headset sometime in 2023.
→ Read more: Apple Glass: 6 expectations for Apple’s first smart glasses
