Apple investments in R&D have never been that high, the Cupertino firm is about to become the biggest spender in the world. One of the reason is that Apple plans to enrich its product range, surfing on the promising technologies of AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). Apple is planning to launch a headset that will be able to run both VR and AR technology in 2020, reports Cnet, citing a person familiar with Apple’s plans. The news seems to verify a Bloomberg report from November 2017 that suggested Apple would have an AR headset ready to ship in early 2020. The device is said to include a display, run on a chip, and have its own OS. We will show you everything there is to know about the new Apple AR headset. Get ready to add this one to your wishlist!
What’s inside?
The first big improvement: 8K screen for each eye, while actual headsets only offer 4K resolution for their best models. This mask will be fully autonomous using existing wireless technology of WiGig used by HTC on VivePro to provide best reactivity and comfort: Goodbye wires! Further, the headset will be equipped with cameras on the sides to capture environment making obsolete the pods needed on actual solutions.
The box to power Apple’s AR/VR headset also would use a 5-nanometer home-made processor, which is industry lingo for how tightly transistors can be packed into a tiny space. What size are we talking about? In comparison, the iPhone X is powered by a 10-nanometer processor. And when it comes to chips, the smaller the number, the faster and more power efficient things get. By building its own chips, Apple is able to better control the features it releases, as well as better manage the timeline for introducing new devices. It’s been working on processors to replace Intel’s chips in Mac computers as soon as 2020. The chips used in future Macs would be similar to what Apple would use in its T288 AR/VR project, said the person familiar with the company’s plans. The 8K displays in Apple’s new headset, meanwhile, would help the VR and AR images look more lifelike. The smaller, and therefore more powerful chip, combined with the extreme high-quality video, would be critical to creating experiences that won’t make you vomit if things get too shaky or move around too much.
Eye dominant technology
So far, Apple has already patented a lot of AR and VR technology for this new device but the most interesting is probably Eye dominant technology.
According to Apple’s patents that were obtained by Apple Insider, Apple’s innovation in the augmented reality or virtual reality headset is mostly towards improving its visual screen through eye detection systems and comfort for its usage. Among their patents for their VR headset are “eye-tracking” systems to allow the VR headset to adjust its display according to the position of the user’s eyes.
In most VR programs and games, users would have to rely on their neck to adjust their view in their new VR surroundings, which is a troublesome task especially if one is using the headset for a long time. Ocular dominance, how a person favors what they see out of one eye over another, is an important element of understanding how someone processes what they see. Depending on which eye the brain prefers to use as its main source of information, this could alter how they see a physical object or a scene compared to someone else with the opposite dominance.
Limits
The only drawback of this new feature is its technology makes the VR headset feel heavier, which could be a problem for the user too. However, Apple has also patented an automated adjustment system that allows the headset to adjust to the player’s rapid movement, as well as headset slips to prevent any hassle in using the VR headset.
ARKit
Apple has been continuously iterating on ARKit, the augmented reality development tool that lets creators make smartphone-based AR experiences. Citing sources familiar with the development of Apple’s new operating systems, the report maintains that ARKit will get a new Swift-only framework for AR and a companion app that lets developers create AR experiences visually. ARKit will also reportedly get the ability to detect human poses.
Conclusion
This announcement proves that AR and VR are far from finished. Apple has the power to increase the popularity of this technology, they are in a good position to enter the VR industry. Sony, HTC, Oculus, and Google have yet to establish themselves as the top VR technology out there. Apple’s take on the VR headset could potentially shake things up once the company pushes it out to the market.
Get ready for this Apple headset to be released in the early half of 2020! Have you added it to your wishlist yet?
Leave a Reply