Apple Introduces First VR Headset Design, Features and Price

Sieeka Khan, Tech Times 21 January 2021, 01:01 pm

Apple is said to be working on a VR headset. The anticipated headset will include a fan, will have a fabric design and it will be very expensive.

Apple's first VR headset is expected to launch early 2022 as a standalone device that operates through batteries, which is similar to Oculus Quest 2.

Apple VR headset

According to Bloomberg News, Apple is working on advanced and powerful chips for its very first VR headset, with some of the chips rumored to beat its own M1 Mac processors.

Apple has faced numerous challenges in the creation of the VR headset, with some of the prototypes being too big or too heavy.

Also Read: Apple iOS 13.5 Now Allows Phone Unlocking While Wearing a Face Mask

Reports stated that Apple is using a fabric exterior in order to reduce the weight of the headset, but Apple is also using a fan, which is an unusual move for the company given that it is vocal about sticking to a fan-less design.

Bloomberg News also reported that the size of Apple's VR headset is similar to that of the size of the Oculus Quest. With a codename of N301, the VR headset's prototypes that are being tested include external cameras to enable some of the AR features.

Apple is also reportedly testing the VR headset's ability to use cameras in order to track hand movements and it will include software features like a virtual keyboard.

However, it is still not clear when the exact date of the Apple's VR headset will be distributed, reports only state that it will be distributed early 2022. The VR headset will have an expensive price attached to it, with predictions saying Apple may only sell one device per day at each of its retail stores, and that will be less than 200,000 devices per year.

Apple has been working on VR and AR headsets for years now, according to numerous reports. Around 1,000 people are said to be working on AR and VR for Apple.

Sneak peak on Apple's AR and VR

According to the report from The Verge, the AR and VR team of Apple is lead by Mike Rockwell and it has two main products in development.

One is codenamed N421, which is a pair of lightweight AR glasses, while the VR headset is codenamed N301. It is the N301 that is rumored to be causing internal division at Apple.

The N301 was initially designed to be an ultra-powerful system, with processing and graphics speeds which is basically unheard of for a wearable product.

The processing capabilities of the VR headset were so advanced and it produced so much heat that the technology could not fit into one headset.

So Rockwell's team planned to sell a stationary hub that would connect to the VR headset with a wireless signal. In the early version of Rockwell's take on the device, the headset would also be able to work on independent mode.

However, Jony Ive, the former design chief of Apple, is said to have disliked the idea of the VR headset that needed an external device to run. He preferred the concept of the AR glasses. Apple's CEO Tim Cook sided with Ive's statement, thus the VR headset is still being developed for next year's release.