A prescription option is said to be in the offing, as well, which could point to a headset that doesn’t accommodate glasses. The system will reportedly utilize a pair of 4K displays that may be manufactured by Sony. Another sticking point is apparently a clip-on battery back that would sit on the wearer’s belt. This uses on-headset cameras to create the illusion of transparency with an opaque display, providing that AR effect.

Given that it’s anticipated to be a mix of both technologies (mixed reality or MR), it seems likely that it will rely on passthrough technology similar to headsets from HTC, Microsoft and Magic Leap. The executive reportedly wanted something closer in form factor to a pair of AR glasses, but the team apparently delivered a product akin to a VR headset. Cook no doubt wanted to get things just right for what may well prove the defining product of his tenure as CEO - for better or worse. Apple gets the benefit of the doubt here, after a long track record of redefining existing hardware categories (smartphones, smartwatches, headphones, mp3 players). It’s the first generation of a category that well-appointed tech giants have tried and failed to crack for decades. Of course, this is more than just a first-gen product.

The company has reportedly been working on the product for around eight years, and pressure to ship has hit a fever pitch - to the apparent chagrin of CEO Tim Cook.įirst-gen products are hard - even for Apple. Bloomberg has been leading the charge on leaks here, but an Apple AR/VR/MR headset has long been considered the worst kept secret in Silicon Valley.

Now, I can’t say that we definitively know the headset is coming next week, but I will tell you that you definitely don’t want to bet against the house on this one.

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