Apple is expected to unveil a mixed reality headset — its first brand new product in eight years — at its annual event for developers.
The tech giant’s WWDC presentations are usually reserved for software showcases — especially the next major updates to its iPhones, iPads, and Macs — but this year there’s new hardware on the horizon.
one apple Headphones have been rumored for a long time, and reports suggest the company will finally make its debut in an increasingly crowded field at an event on Monday.
It will be the company’s first brand new product Since the Apple Watch debuted in 2015.
Wait, what is “mixed reality”?
In recent years, you’ve probably been exposed to virtual reality and augmented reality, and maybe even tried them.
Virtual reality is all about transporting you into a completely digital world that cuts you off from the outside world and puts everything from the shelf in your living room to your pet cat at risk.
It’s been a big year for these types of headphones – PlayStation VR2 launched in Februaryalthough Yuan It has been announced that Quest 3 will launch this fall. Both are focused on gaming and cost around £500.
Augmented reality puts digital elements in the real world – and you can use it anytime on your phone with the IKEA app, Snapchat filters, Pokemon Go and more.
Try augmented reality from Sky News:
Decorate your home with festive fun
Put the king’s coronation crown in your living room
Pokemon Go is one of AR’s most successful mainstream demos
Mixed reality takes this concept a step further—instead of some funky digital furniture and pocket monsters simply overlaying your surroundings, the idea is that you’ll interact with them as if they were actually there.
Imagine, for example, working on a virtual sculpture at your real desk, or a surgeon-in-training practicing complex procedures on digital patients.
sounds expensive…
Mixed reality has proven to be an expensive proposition – Meta’s premium Quest Pro headset, aimed more at industry and education than entertainment, launched last October for £1,499.
After bad reviews and disappointing sales, Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse pitch fails to impress customers and investorswhich has since dropped to £999.
Apple has never been afraid of high prices, with reports suggesting its headphones will cost as much as $3,000 (£2,409), well above the starting price of its phones, tablets and computers.
Given that, and the fact that it’s being announced at WWDC, it’s likely to be aimed at professionals and developers first, rather than regular customers.
Consumer headsets like PlayStation VR 2 are mostly focused on gaming and entertainment
What will Apple’s headphones offer?
Communications and productivity will be among the headset’s main use cases, Bloomberg reported, citing a person who worked on the device as saying it was a “status symbol” product.
It’s thought to have 4K-resolution images, full-body motion tracking, six cameras to provide a view of the outside world, and the same powerful M2 chip seen in its Macs.
The headset is also expected to run its own operating system, so you can navigate with motion and voice, rather than an adapted version of the familiar iPhone or Mac interface.
Just like Apple’s devices have their own App Store, the headset will have its own App Store with customized versions of the software you’re used to on your iPhone. Let’s hope we get the dreaded full Memoji avatars too.
According to Bloomberg, Apple will release the headset, tentatively called Reality Pro, in late 2023 or early 2024.
Apple boss Tim Cook may take the stage at WWDC
What else can we get from this event?
WWDC will still spend a lot of time on existing products.
This year’s major iPhone update, iOS 17, will be released in time for the next generation of phones in September.
We already know some new features are coming, in particular an accessibility option that allows users to create a sounds like their artificial voice.
It targets people with a condition that could mean they lose the ability to speak in the future.
The biggest new software feature rumored is a landscape mode for the iPhone while charging, which would essentially turn it into a smart display, similar to the Google’s new Pixel tablet。 It shows things like calendar appointments at a glance, not just notifications or times.
Updates to the iPhone software are often reflected on the iPad, so it’s possible that the same functionality will appear on the iPad as well.
The Mac and Apple Watch should also get some attention — rumor has it that the widgets that have shaken up the home screens of iPhones and iPads in recent years could be coming to the latter.
There was also talk of a new MacBook Air, which would be larger at 15 inches.
We won’t have to wait long to find out – WWDC 2023 kicks off at 6pm UK time on Monday.