While Apple is tipped to announce the iPhone 14 along with the Watch Series 8 and AirPods Pro 2 during a remote event on Wednesday, there is no mention of Apple’s first mixed reality headset. Instead, the first AR/VR device, dubbed the Apple Reality Pro, could be revealed sometime in 2023.
TL; DR
- Apple is working on three AR/VR headsets.
- The first device is called Reality Pro.
- Apple Reality Pro mixed reality will launch in 2023.
Apple’s mixed reality headphones
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared new insights into Apple’s augmented reality platform in his latest newsletter. There are said to be three headsets currently in development. The Reality Pro, code-named N301, is the first MR wearable and will likely arrive early next year. The device is expected to be on par with the unannounced Quest Pro. Moreover, the successor of the Reality Pro is a lighter version with the internal name N602.
The third MR headset is an augmented reality device, meaning it’s closer to smart glasses than a bulky head piece. If this happens, this will compete with the upcoming Google Glasses 2, which has already been teased. Unfortunately, he added, it will still be several years before the source is ready for users.
In terms of price, Apple’s Reality Pro is aimed at early adopters and developers. The Cupertino giant does not expect it to become a mainstream consumer device due to the high cost of components. Finally, all these premium Apple devices run on the company’s custom rOS (Reality).
Reality Pro Rivals will debut in 2022
On the other hand, Meta is scheduled to launch its next premium mixed reality headset in October. The Meta Quest Pro is said to be priced around $1500 for a complete kit with controllers and charging pad. Also listed are the Snapdragon XR2 chip, 12GB of RAM, and pancake lenses with high-resolution QLED displays.