Production on Apple’s mixed reality headset is rumored to be starting soon
A possible April 2023 launch
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It would seem thatApple’s mixed reality headsetis moving from the realm of rumor into an actual product that you’ll be able to go out and buy: mass production of the device is reportedly going to get underway in March 2023.
That’s as perDigiTimes(viaMacRumors), with Pegatron said to be the manufacturing partner for this particular piece of hardware. An unveiling could then happen in April 2023, according to the report based on inside sources.
The initial production run is said to be relatively low, less than a million units being made to begin with. The report also mentions a high price for the headset, pointing out that it’s going to be aimed at “commercial markets” when it’s finally launched.
Choose your reality
DigiTimes is referring to the device as an “extended reality” or “XR” headset. It’s going to combine both virtual reality (VR), which means completely enclosed virtual worlds, and augmented reality (AR), which is digital elements overlaid on the real world.
Another term for this sort of AR/VR hybrid is mixed reality, though different companies tend to use different terms. Something like theMicrosoft HoloLens 2might give us the best idea about what exactlyAppleis about to unveil.
It sounds as though there might be future AR/VR devices coming down the line in the future, but the first one is set to be an expensive bit of hardware that’s not necessarily going to be easily available to consumers.
Analysis: what we think we know so far
It seems there are two different devices in development at the moment: a VR or mixed reality headset, and a more lightweight, AR-basedApple Glassessort of gadget, which is perhaps going to be similar toGoogle Glassin terms of its design and functionality.
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At this stage it’s something of a surprise that the Apple Glasses haven’t appeared. They were widely tippedto show up in 2022, but as we approach the end of the year there’s been no sign. Now it would seem the mixed reality headset will be the first product out.
Everything we’ve heard so far suggests that the mixed reality headset is going to be fitted with premium parts and have a high price tag attached. We’ve heardrumors of an OLED screen, and user authentication will apparently be handledvia an iris scanning system.
What we do know for sure is that Apple bossTim Cookis very interestedin AR and VR technology, which suggests it’s only a matter of time before we see products in these categories starting to appear – beginning in 2023.
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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