Apple’s AR/VR headset will be more of a standalone device: Report

Apple’s much-discussed AR/VR or mixed-reality headset could have a standalone design with no base station, according to the latest report The Information. This news comes after Bloomberg reported that Apple’s board has seen the device, another strong indicator that the device is almost ready.
According to The Information’s report, Apple has decided not to use a base station for the AR/VR headset. The report also adds that Apple’s AR/VR head Mike Rockwell was leaning towards a version with a base station, which would have included the M1 Ultra processor, but it seems Apple has gone in a different direction.
It also looks like there were other challenges such as adding 14 cameras on the headset and these have caused some problems for engineers. The device will also come with multiple chips, according to the report, as a single chip would be unable to handle all of the challenges. The report also states that Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive is still consulting on the project and he’s more in favour of a ‘wearable’ battery design. Still, Apple is believed to be testing several designs for the AR/VR headset.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Apple’s board got a preview of the mixed reality headset and that the product is in an advanced development stage. The device will be powered rOS, which is Apple’s dedicated software for the headset and the full form is ‘reality operating system’. The report hints that the “product’s debut could potentially come within the next several months,” though it is unlikely to make an appearance at the WWDC 2022, which takes place next month.
The report stated that the product could see a consumer release only in 2023. There are challenges linked to overheating and content issues, which have led to delays. The product will have a premium price tag when it launches, close to $2000 is what previous reports have said.
Another report Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the headset will likely come with an array of advanced sensors, including advanced hand gesture detection, and advanced 3D sensors for face tracking. The analyst had said that the device would have four sets of 3D sensors, which will allow for more accurate capture of gestures, object detection. According to Bloomberg, Apple is also “working on stand-alone AR glasses, codenamed N421, for release later this decade.”