Augmented Reality (AR)

Apple and Meta won’t just be competing with their VR headsets – they are also likely to be gearing up for a later battle between Apple Glasses and Meta Glasses.

While both devices are believed to be years from launch, a new report today says that we’ll get a sneak peek at Meta Glasses later this year …

We saw the first potential Vision Pro competitor yesterday, in the form of the $699 Xreal Air 2 Ultra – and Sony has also now announced its own device. Interestingly, it doesn’t yet appear to have a name.

As with the Xreal glasses, how much competition the Sony headset will pose to Vision Pro depends on who would be buying it, and for what reason …

A studio that adapted Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens into an augmented reality experience for the Magic Leap 2 believes that combining a physical book with AR content could make a cool Vision Pro experience.

Rather than the purely virtual book brought to life in Magic Leap, the studio sees the potential for using Vision Pro’s high-resolution passthrough feature to create something truly special …

In September 2020, Apple started a tradition of including an AR Easter egg in the announcement of its major events. Now after unveiling its Vision Pro headset at WWDC this year, the “Wonderlust” announcement is the first iPhone event in years to not include an AR surprise.

There aren’t many cases of another company charging more than Apple for a similar product, but the Varjo XR-3 mixed-reality headset is a rare example.

Not having been one of the chosen few to be invited to try Vision Pro (was it something I said?), I took advantage of an invitation to try what Varjo believes is the most advanced mixed-reality device available. In particular, I wanted to see whether it could change my view of the tech as something that doesn’t yet justify the steep price-tag when it comes to my own needs …

Apple has limited a Vision Pro safe area to 10 feet by 10 feet, when using fully immersive VR experiences. It follows earlier news of a speed limit when using the device.

The limit is likely designed to prevent the sort of virtual reality headset accidents frequently seen in YouTube videos, but some are saying that it might prove too limiting for some types of gameplay, as well as proving a significant limitation for some commercial and industrial uses …

The announcement of the $3500 Vision Pro starting price didn’t go down well with those in the keynote audience, but a company which makes an even more expensive mixed-reality headset believes that Apple’s entry into the field is a good thing for its own prospects.

Varjo’s XR-3 VR/AR headset comes in at an even more eye-watering $6500, but the company claims that it welcomes the competition …

There are very mixed views as to whether the Apple headset and its successors can be the device to transform AR/VR from a niche interest to a mass-market product. But a report today says that those working within the sector firmly believe that it can.

Oculus founder Palmer Lucky said last month that the Apple headset is “so good,” and others in the business are said to be “jubilant” at today’s announcement …

I won’t be buying Reality Pro. That’s partly down to the anticipated price, but also because I haven’t yet found either augmented or virtual reality to be in any way compelling.

Cute, yes. Impressive, also yes. But I can’t remember the last time I used an AR app, and while I did buy a VR headset, I also can’t remember the last time I dug it out of the back of a drawer …

Just a few days before Apple officially unveils Reality Pro, an Oppo MR headset has been announced – but it will only be available in China, and is aimed solely at developers.

The Oppo MR Glass Developer Edition has the same mixed-reality (MR) focus, reflected in the name, and the company’s long-term goal is very much in line as that rumored for Apple Glasses …

Apple has officially posted the event page for the WWDC23 keynote (first live in the UK) and with that comes the company’s latest Easter egg. Following several years of hiding fun AR surprises on the event page, this year marks the first where the event will include AR/VR announcements from Apple.

Apple’s AR/VR headset is set to be revealed in less than a month at WWDC, yet we still know very little of how this technology will work and what Apple’s use cases will be. Interestingly, this week I got a look at what I’d consider the first applicable workplace augmented reality tech for the masses from Sightful, a company founded by former developers of Apple’s acquired PrimeSense.

I don’t think the timing was a coincidence.

A new report on the upcoming Apple Reality Pro AR/VR headset says that the device is significantly compromised, compared to the company’s original vision for the device.

It also says that some top Apple execs are skeptical about the potential of the product and are distancing themselves from it. The report – based on multiple sources close to the project – said that Apple will be selling it almost at cost, in contrast to the high margins it expects from other products …

A report on Friday suggested that initial Apple Reality Pro availability is likely to be very limited, as the Cupertino company is “anticipating some production issues” with its upcoming AR/VR headset.

A new Ming-Chi Kuo report provides a likely partial explanation for this: Apple is reportedly dependent on just one supplier for most of the key components …

A new study released by Piper Sandler reveals how teens feel about virtual reality. The data is interesting as we’re moving closer to Apple unveiling its first mixed-reality headset with a premium price. While Apple is expected to aim its first headset at developers and professionals, the lack of interest from the teen demographic – who already have a VR device – could foreshadow a challenge for adoption.

Apple was wrong about the potential of augmented reality headsets and glasses, says CEO Tim Cook, adding that Steve Jobs taught him to be willing to admit mistakes.

The rest of the lengthy GQ profile and interview covers familiar ground, and Cook’s usual talking points …

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reports that production for Apple’s AR/VR headset has likely been delayed again. Kuo now believes that the supply chain will ramp assembly for the device in mid-to-late Q3 of this year.

The delay means Kuo now predicts only 200,000 to 300,000 units will be manufactured and shipped this year, down from original estimates that exceeded half a million units.

In a report today from The New York Times, anonymous employees at Apple expressed their skepticism about the upcoming AR/VR headset, expected to be officially announced to the world at WWDC in June.

The NYT says that, unlike some other recent product launches, Apple has failed to rally all of its employees behind the project. Some employees have left the teams because they are not convinced the product will appeal to customers.

Meta has announced changes aiming to make its Quest 2 and Quest Pro VR headsets more enticing. The more affordable Quest 2 is dropping by $70 with the Quest Pro 2 price being slashed by $500. The news comes after Meta had a big loss for its “Reality Labs” division in 2022 and expectations for Apple to show off its first headset in June.

Although the first-generation Apple headset is yet to be officially announced, the rumor mill is already full-steam ahead discussing the plans for the second generation of the device.

Today, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple expects to launch the second-generation headset in 2025. Unlike the first generation, which will only have one high-end model, the second generation will come in two models: a low-end and a high-end version.

Apple is expected to unveil its first-generation AR/VR headset hardware as soon as WWDC in June. But the first-generation device is expected to be packed with cutting-edge tech, like high-res displays, and many cameras and sensors — all those premium components come at a cost. The rumored price for “Apple Reality Pro” is $2,000-$3,000.

However, the rumor mill believes that Apple is targeting a cheaper — more consumer-friendly — device for the second generation. In fact, a report from Nikkei today says that Apple is already working with Foxconn on production planning for the cheaper headset.