Report: Apple VR Could Have 8K, Cost $3,000
Apple's currently in your pocket with its phones, on your wrist with its watches, and thanks to a new report from The Information, we now know that it's probably going to be on your heads soon too with its first VR headset- assuming you can afford it. Recent speculation about an ultra high-end Apple VR headset started just a few weeks ago thanks to Bloomberg, but The Information's new report hints at a bevy of cutting-edge features, including "more than a dozen cameras" and "ultra-high-resolution 8K displays."
These details supposedly come from "a person with direct knowledge of the device," who provided the outlet with internal Apple images of a late-stage prototype of the headset. According to both reports, the Apple VR headset will be a luxury device that uses mesh and swappable headbands to lighten the load on the wearer's head and will cost well over the $300 to $900 price tags of the competition. Current Apple discussions see pricing hitting around $3,000, according to the new report.
For that small fortune, you'll get both VR and Mixed Reality capabilities, since the device's cameras will supposedly go beyond tracking hand movements and will also "be able to pass video of the real world through the visor and display it on screens to the person wearing the headset." Lidar will also reportedly play a role here, helping to map nearby real world objects in virtual spaces rendered by the headset.
But for pure VR enthusiasts, the Apple headset will also supposedly tout two 8K screens, plus eye tracking.
Foveated rendering and eye tracking would be used to reduce the image quality in areas outside of the user's focus.
The report claims this would be a niche product unrelated to an Apple mass market augmented reality (AR) product.
Previously: Apple Goes on an Acquisition Spree, Turns Attention to NextVR
Apple Glasses Leaks and Rumors: Here's Everything We Expect to See
Related Stories
Exclusive: Apple likely buyer of NextVR, a live event streaming AR/VR company being sold for ~$100M
It's no secret that Apple has ambitious plans for augmented reality and a future AR-focused headset. Apple is practically building the platform for its future headset out in the open with ARKit. What's new is that Apple is believed to be in the process of acquiring a California-based virtual reality company called NextVR, 9to5Mac has learned.
NextVR, which is located in Orange County, California, has a decade of experience marrying virtual reality with sports and entertainment. The company currently provides VR experiences for viewing live events with headsets from PlayStation, Oculus, HTC, Microsoft, Lenovo headsets.
The icing on the cake may not be expertise in virtual reality, however, as NextVR also has holds patented technology that upscales video streams. NextVR uses this technology to support high quality video streams of music and sporting events to VR headsets. NextVR holds over 40 technology patents in total.
Apple is reportedly in the process of snapping up NextVR, its third acquisition in the past week
Apple appears to have embarked on a buying spree over the past week, as startup valuations come down amid the coronavirus pandemic.
[...] Apple frequently buys smaller startups without disclosing the details, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC last May. But an uptick in acquisitions — three in a week — is particularly significant as startups tackle the economic pressures brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, Apple acquired the acclaimed weather app DarkSky, in a move predicted to add to a growing list of services division. DarkSky's founder Adam Grossman announced the news in a blog post, but didn't disclose any of the deal's details.
Then it acquired the Dublin-based AI startup Voysis, whose technology could help bolster Siri's language skills, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The terms of the deal were also left undisclosed.
CNet:
First came VR. Then came a wave of AR headsets that were high-priced and full of promises of wild mixed reality worlds. Apple now seems to be readying its own pair of smart glasses, at long last, seven years after Google Glass and four years after the debut of Oculus Rift. These reports have extended back for several years, including a story broken by CNET's Shara Tibken in 2018.
Apple has been in the wings all this time without any headset at all, although the company's aspirations in AR have been clear and well-telegraphed on iPhones and iPads for years. Each year, Apple's made significant strides on iOS with its AR tools.
The article dives into these topics at some depth:
- Normal glasses, first, with a normal name
- Lower cost than you'd think?
- iPhone-powered
- A world of QR codes, and maybe location-aware objects
- Apple's newest iPad has the sensor tech it needs
- How bleeding-edge will the visuals be?
- Look to AirPods for ease of use -- and audio augmented reality
- Apple Watch and AirPods could be great Glass companions
- Could Qualcomm and Apple's reconciliation also be about XR?
- Expect the iPhone to support other VR and AR, too
- Launch date: Still could be a year away
Will Apple Glass succeed where Google Glass failed?
(Score: 2, Touché) by Barenflimski on Sunday February 07 2021, @08:57AM (2 children)
IA - Idiot Augmentation.
New Apple VR Add - "Not watching the road cuz you're looking at your device? Put one of these on, and we'll give you an audio alert right before you are run over while jaywalking."
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @09:10AM
This is for businesses. You won't be allowed to take it out of the building. Can't have any Glasshole assaults.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @03:13PM
You're "seeing" it wrong.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @04:39PM (8 children)
As a true Mac fan I am very excited at a product that costs 3x-10x as much as the competition. When can I buy it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @05:33PM (7 children)
The two 8K screens will be $3000 each, plus eye tracking also at $3000 per eye, 4 eye minimum and no discount for 17th century pirates with just one good eye, ARRRR. The special iLiDar will be powered using proprietary "rainbow" light waves at a single photon resolution, and each individual photon will be licensed per-user, per eye, for each scanner, within each camera, at $1000 each. Each sensor will be fabricated using the state of the art technology consisting of only the finest hand picked bald eagle feathers mixed with the decadent elixir of children's tears as their precious little gnarly fingers soldier those tiny 5nm integrated circuits onto the PCB. Apple Care and extended warranty is not included and sold separately per component. If you so much as use the VR headset by pointing your eyeballs at it, then your warranty is void, however you're more than welcome to purchase another iVR headset! Accessories are also sold separately. Apple reportedly is taking advance orders now! Don't be caught in public without wearing your VR headset and your Beats earphones (around your neck only of course) as you announce to the world your elite social status!!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @06:01PM (6 children)
Just read a story about Medicare fraud--a doctor billed for many services that were never delivered, and stole our money (US Taxes/Medicare). Bought a $300K watch, among other luxury goods. If he wasn't caught, he'd be in line for your version of this Apple product.
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Sunday February 07 2021, @06:45PM (5 children)
When you put it that way, Apple products are a bargain. Apple Watches without gold bands or gemstones on them cost under $500.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Sunday February 07 2021, @07:18PM (4 children)
Meh, my Casio f-91w cost less than $20, does everything I need (tells me the time and ocasionally the date), doesn't force me to upgrade to a new model, spy on me, require software updates, and doesn't require constant recharging. The battery is even replaceable, although in practice the wrist band wears out from many years of use before the battery goes bad. When it does need to be replaced it does not break the bank.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday February 07 2021, @07:26PM (3 children)
The idea of putting a gig of RAM and other overkill shit on your wrist is kind of fun. Charging isn't a big deal if the battery lasts for days and you can place it on a wireless charging pad.
Smartwatches could use Star Wars hologram projection though. But we probably won't see that before 2035.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @07:36PM (2 children)
Halp us Obi-Jobs Kenobi, yer our ownlay hope!
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday February 07 2021, @07:42PM (1 child)
Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday February 08 2021, @04:49AM
Disney made sure of that.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @04:59PM
Perfect for anyone that has to keep track of kids! Every sitter and teacher needs this.
My college roommate wore glasses. He glued little mirrors over the hinges, aimed similar to rear view mirrors in a car. Once he got used to them he was pretty good at saying hello to people that walked up to him from the rear/side (while not turning his head far enough to face us). Unnerving at first...but his friends all got used to it after awhile.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Mykl on Sunday February 07 2021, @11:53PM (3 children)
I love the smug superiority of commenters who are drawn to Apple articles like flies to shit.
The calculator I modified to run Linux does everything I need - therefore anyone who wants to buy anything else must be a moron. Who wants to spend that much on VR anyway - the Command Line is more powerful! I can't think of any use case that I would need for it, so nobody else should either! 640k ought to be enough for everybody!
Presumably someone out there has identified a Use Case or two for this product, or it would not be getting made. I'm interested in finding out more about exactly who it's aimed at - certainly not the consumer market. A few thoughts:
(Score: 2, Disagree) by fakefuck39 on Monday February 08 2021, @03:42AM (2 children)
$3000 is not aimed at the consumer market? where, in hickville rural west virginia? Or in NYC where I spent that much monthly on groceries? The common consumer TV costs this much.
This is aimed at the people who want to use VR at home. They spend over 1k on a video card. Medical equipment and defense? A $3k headset? They spend that much on a fork. Simply going by price alone, this is specifically targeted at who you say it's not, and specifically not targeted at who you say it is. I do agree with you on the pimple porn - I love jacking off to stubble on an ass-pimple.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Monday February 08 2021, @05:36AM (1 child)
2 x 8k screens small enough to strap to your head. Over a dozen cameras. Lidar. Tracking accuracy and display latency good enough to make AR realistic through camera views alone. An Apple logo. New software? Sounds like much more than $3,000 to me.
Just for fun, you can fully spec a Mac Pro on their store for around $60k USD. My guess is that this headset is being paired up with those users.
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Monday February 08 2021, @06:29AM
Comparing this VR headset to a computer is comparing apples to orange-colored pencils. a bunch of cheap webcam-quality cameras are 5 bucks a piece - we're not talking 12 cameras like in the iphone 12. Lidar? For a car mapping the road, it's thousands of dollars. A cheap low-res lidar for your living room to draw a 3d box around where the chair is? It's $100 (https://www.spar3d.com/news/lidar/velodyne-releases-100-lidar-sensor/). I'd also assume a tiny 8k screen is a hell of a lot cheaper than a big 8k screen. We have 4k phones right now - the screen is not their expensive component.
This isn't a system that plays a VR game for you. It's a display and a bunch of cheap input peripherals for a powerful computer playing that game, with components costing under a thousand bucks, marked up 3x for that apple logo.