Apple has repeatedly shown signs it’s developing an augmented reality headset but not much has been seen since all the speculations began. The only materialized aspect of any upcoming Apple’s augmented reality is the inclusion of ARKit apps on the iPhone and iPad. Aside from those apps, only reports dating back to November 2017 suggests that Apple is working on an AR headset.
True to those reports, Apple is recently showing more signs the speculated AR products will soon hit the market. The company is working on creating an indigenous method for mounting the headset on the user’s head and also in search for means to regulate generated heat by the hardware while it’s in use. When produced, the Apple AR glasses will have an 8K-resolution display for each eye, a faster processor when compared to any Apple produced processor and will use WiGig for wirelessly communicate with its host device, reports Apple Insider.
Ming-Chi Kuo yesterday revealed that Apple’s first AR product will go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year. Kuo was not too specific on the timeframe; he said at least by the end of the second quarter of 2020, the products will be mass-produced.
Image: Apple CEO Tim Cook
Kuo in his report stated that this first generation of Apple’s AR glasses will depend heavily on the iPhone. Regarding its functionality, the Apple AR glasses will function as just a display says Kuo. And the actual rendering, computing, internet connectivity and location services displayed on the AR headset will be coming from the iPhone while it’s right there in the user’s pocket. Just like Apple Watch, it’s assumed that the glasses and the iPhone pairing will be done wirelessly even though it was not explicitly stated in the report.
Rather than trying to install everything into the headset, building the headset to be iPhone dependent will enable Apple to produce a much lighter AR headset that is more comfortable to wear. But there’s a question surrounding the iPhone dependent AR handset. How much battery will one have to sacrifice just to have the AR experience on your face? Besides the dependent of the glasses on the iPhone, Apple still has lots of work to do. The headset design will also accommodate companion depth sensors.
The timeline set for the AR products launch matches with a report published about two years ago by Bloomberg. At the time of the publication, 2020 was said to be an aggressive internal target. How compelling and useful the AR products will be to the average user is still being widely speculated. On Apple’s part, it believes the product will be a big hit.
With manufacturing ramping up the end of fourth quarter 2019, it’s difficult to rule out a 2020 public launch of the product by Apple; though some analysts still believe the product won’t be available until 2021.
