In an interview with China Daily this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped another hint at the company’s ongoing work in the AR/VR space. The hint adds weight to rumors suggesting the iPhone maker is developing a mixed reality headset and AR glasses.
In the interview, Cook said the company is excited about the opportunities in the Augmented Reality space. His remarks don’t divulge specifics about the company’s plans, but they acknowledge the evolving significance of AR and VR technologies. He added that Apple fans should “stay tuned” to see what the company has to offer.
In this @ChinaDailyUSA interview, @tim_cook was asked about AR and VR headsets…watch his response… Reality 🥽 is coming@mingchikuo @Scobleizer @CharlieFink @SkarredGhost @CapStark7 pic.twitter.com/tJz5j9dBVB
— Cæsar (@cesarberardini) June 22, 2022
“I am incredibly excited about AR as you might know, and the critical thing to any technology including AR is putting humanity at the center of it. And that is what we focus on every day. Right now, as an example, we have over 14,000 ARKit apps in the App Store, which provide AR experiences for millions of people around the world.
I think despite that, we’re still in the very early innings of how this technology will evolve. I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities we’ve seen in this space and sort of stay tuned and you’ll see what we have to offer.”
Rumors about Apple’s AR/VR headset have been around for a few years now. The company is expected to dip its toes in the space with a powerful and expensive mixed reality headset aimed at app developers and enthusiasts. Rumors suggest the headset will have the processing power of an M1 chip, a sticker price of $2,000 or more, and a focus on gaming and content consumption.
On the display front, rumors from reputed analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Display Supply Chain Consultants analyst Ross Young suggest the headset will sport two 4k micro-OLED panels. Hand tracking, eye tracking, biometric authentication, and Spatial Audio support are also said to be on the cards.
Apple is expected to launch the mixed reality headset sometime in 2023, followed by the AR glasses in 2024. A recent report claimed the company’s board has already seen a product demonstration, indicative of an impending launch.
