Apple has been rumoured to be working on a virtual and augmented reality headset for some time but there are now solid leaks suggesting the headset is close to release. Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron is said to be making the device for Apple according to DigiTimes, a publication that has deep contacts within electronics supply chains.
According to the report, the new device, codenamed N301, will be released in 2023 with production volumes expected to reach around 800,000 units initially with plans to triple that over time. The price point is not yet confirmed but the expectation is that this will not, initially, be a consumer focussed device with commercial customers the main target.
This makes sense. The whole idea of the metaverse, a kind of immersive virtual world, being a place where people would meet and interact doesn’t make a lot of sense when you’re wearing a device that completely isolates you from the outside world. Watch the movie Ready Player One and you’ll understand what I mean. While wearing VR headsets and interacting, players were completely shut off and oblivious to what was actually happening around them.
This disconnection is precisely why I think the Facebook vision of the metaverse is currently flawed.
However, the commercial applications of augmented and virtual reality, using wearable headsets, is much stronger. Everyone from engineers and mechanics through to airline pilots and doctors can benefit from the tech. It can help them with design, repair, training and myriad other applications. There are even therapeutic applications for VR, as my friend Les Posen has been doing for many years.
Apple has long been suspected of researching and developing virtual and augmented reality hardware. The iPhone and iPad have been its canary in the coal mine as the company has integrated LiDAR sensors and other hardware into the camera arrays. There will be great fanfare when Apple finally releases its virtual and augmented reality headset. But we are still some time away from being able to create truly immersive experiences that don’t create a barrier between the physical and virtual worlds.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.