[ad_1]
Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is planning a virtual reality headset that could eventually lead it to sell augmented reality glasses, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
What happened: The helmet with the working name N301 is still at the prototype stage, while the so-called N421 goggles are in an emerging stage called “architecture”.
The company led by Tim Cook plans to launch the VR headset as early as 2022 and it will face off Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) Oculus, Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation VR, and others, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The glasses, on the other hand, are still several years away, even though a 2023 launch was previously slated, Bloomberg sources have revealed.
It is said that the VR device is expensive and would cost more than competing products. Apple could limit the sale to one headset per store, which Bloomberg calculated – with nearly 500 stores – would cap annual sales at just over 180,000 units.
Why is this important: The Cupertino, Calif., Based company plans to include its most powerful processors in the headset, and the chips tested outperform its M1 silicon Mac, Bloomberg noted.
See also: What you need to know about spaces and Apple’s continuous AR / VR push
The iPhone maker is said to have developed an approach that would allow visually impaired people to insert personalized prescription lenses into the VR device.
In May, Apple acquired NextVR – a virtual reality startup that provides content for AR and VR headsets, including those made by rivals.
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) subsidiary Google sells an enterprise edition of its AR Glass product which it claims is intended for “hands-free work.” The company ended sales of the consumer beta in 2015.
Related link: Oculus’ move to make Facebook accounts mandatory for users of its VR headsets sparks outrage from social media
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
Source link