Rumor: Apple will focus on cheaper headset (and puts glasses in the fridge)

0
75

Apple is said to have scrapped plans to make augmented reality glasses for the time being. Technical issues mean that Apple is now turning its attention to a cheaper mixed reality headset.

Gonny van der Zwaag | iCulture.nl – January 18, 2023, 9:01 AM · Last updated: 10:44 whatsappfacebooktwittertelegramlinkedinmailprint

No glasses, but headset

For years it has been talked about that Apple would first make a somewhat larger headset, then normal-looking glasses and finally contact lenses. But for years to come, the focus will be almost entirely on mixed reality headsets. Apple reporter Mark Gurman writes that Apple wanted to make AR glasses that would make it unnecessary to take out the iPhone, because all information is close to your retina. But those glasses seem far away now. Other companies have tried it, such as with Google Glass and Microsoft Hololens. Meta and Google are also still working on it in projects called Project Iris and Nazare respectively. But we shouldn't expect something that looks like normal glasses from Apple.

So what? Reality Pro and One

Apple will focus all attention on the headset, the first version of which may appear this year. The price will be around $3,000 and it will be packed with cameras and sensors. It looks more like a conventional VR headset than glasses. Inside is a processor that you also find in computers, such as the M2. As far as naming is concerned, there have been indications that Apple will opt for the name Reality Pro.


We can write such glasses on our stomach. You can contact Google for this, which is working on Project Iris.

Cheaper headset is given priority

After this expensive variant, we can expect a cheaper copy in 2024 or 2025, which will be around $ 1,500 in terms of price. This is also the price that Meta is currently asking for the Quest Pro. This could be called Reality One, another name that Apple has registered. This model is more aimed at the ordinary user, although the price shows that you will not encounter this headset on a wide scale. In the coming years it will be a toy for the happy few who have the money to spare.


This way you can always win at chess; an example of what you can do with the Meta AR glasses.

Expensive = smart?
The question is whether Apple's choice to initially release expensive hardware is the best. Apple's first smart speaker turned out to be unsuccessful: the original HomePod was too expensive and was taken off the market after a while. It can work out well with a mixed reality headset: people are curious about what it is and how it works, but are not yet planning to buy one. By developing a high-end headset that impresses, Apple can claim some territory and later recoup the investment with a headset for the masses.


Prototype of an AR glasses by Meta.

By the way, Meta has about the same plan: the development of glasses there consists of three phases, called Nazare, Artemis and Hypernova. The first glasses are only intended for developers and only then will regular users follow.

See also

Apple mixed reality headset: 8 things we already know

Apple is rumored to be developing AR glasses and/or a VR headset. Here we tell you everything you need to know about these glasses. What can you do with it and why is Apple working on an AR headset?