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We’ve been hearing rumors about a new augmented reality headset from Apple for years now, but it’s unclear when the company plans to launch this product. While there have been some rumors of the 2020 launch, that hasn’t happened – and now a new rumor suggests that Apple’s AR glasses are coming this year. Read on for our full analysis of rumors about Apple’s AR devices.
First rumors
The first rumors of an Apple AR device emerged in 2017 when Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on its own AR headset which was due to be introduced sometime in 2020. The report mentioned that Apple was internally testing a new headset with an integrated system similar to the Apple Watch Series 1 chip, which would run a new one. iOS-based “rOS operating system”.
Although Bloomberg The first report did not provide much detail on the appearance of this device beyond the simple “AR headset”, Financial Times said the same year that Apple was developing augmented reality glasses that would have 3D cameras and rely on the iPhone to function. Apple introduced the ARKit API with iOS 11 that year, which further improved augmented reality technology for iOS apps.
In early 2018, Apple began talks with companies that build components for AR and VR devices, including EMagin – which produces OLED display components for this type of headset. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple plans to start mass production of its first augmented reality product between 2019 and 2020, but he also warned that the timeline could change as the project has not been finalized. by then.
Specifications, design and functionality
In the same report, Kuo mentioned that the first generation of Apple’s AR headset will be heavily dependent on the iPhone, just like the first generation of Apple Watch. The analyst said all “Apple Glasses” data will be rendered and processed on the iPhone, with the new device functioning as an AR display.
Using the iPhone to do the heavy lifting of Apple’s AR headset should allow the company to build an accessory that’s much lighter and more comfortable to wear – just like regular glasses, which wouldn’t be possible if the apparatus was a complete and autonomous machine.
Apple “confirmed” in 2019 that the company was working on some sort of AR device thanks to some internal files that were left behind in a version of iOS 13 and found by 9to5Mac. A new internal system called StarBoard is responsible for rendering and managing AR images on the iPhone and displaying them on the AR headset, which corroborates rumors that this device works similarly to the first Apple Watch with the WatchKit applications.
The iOS 13 code also revealed that the company had tested AR mode with apps like Maps, Find My, and Quick Look (for exploring web content on AR), as well as APIs to support games and games. other applications. Since then, Apple has filed for patents relating to a device capable of “providing 3D virtual views of a user’s environment augmented with virtual content.”
Bloomberg went on to describe Apple’s AR headset as glasses that can display text, emails, maps, games, and other things through holographic screens built into the lens. Last year, Mark Gurman revealed that the company has two strategies for its augmented reality devices, one being AR glasses and the other a more robust AR / VR headset.
According to the report, the headset aims to combine the best of AR and VR to deliver cutting-edge VR gaming and content experiences, while the thin and light bezels will be AR-only and focus on data overlay such as as the cartographic navigations on what the user sees. in the real world.
Another report from Information said Apple has made progress with the semi-transparent lenses for its AR glasses, which reportedly went into production testing in July of last year.
Information reports that its sources say that Apple has been working on semi-transparent lenses with its main manufacturing partner Foxconn since 2018. This also coincides with when Apple bought Akonia Holographics – a company specializing in on-screen liquid crystals. made of silicon to project images onto special screens. lentils.
When to expect Apple’s AR headphones?
2020 is gone, and Apple hasn’t announced any AR-focused devices as some rumors predicted. Bloomberg once said that the Apple AR / VR headset would be introduced in 2021 or 2022, while the “Apple Glasses” would not come until 2023 due to development and manufacturing challenges. This information was subsequently corroborated by other sources.
This week, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple will in fact be announcing its first augmented reality device in 2021 – although he did not say whether it would be the AR / VR headset or the AR glasses. A device like this will likely be announced at the end of the year, when Apple typically introduces its new hardware lineup or at least at WWDC in June with the new “rOS” operating system.
The point is that Apple is increasingly improving its ARKit API as well as the cameras on its devices to deliver a better augmented reality experience. The LiDAR scanner, which was introduced with the iPad Pro 2020 and was also included in the iPhone 12 Pro models, is certainly something that should fit neatly into a new AR device.
Would you be interested in a new Apple AR device? What do you expect from this helmet? Let us know in the comments below.
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