Augmented Reality (AR)

The Information posted its latest roundup of technical details about the upcoming Apple VR/AR headset, a product that the publication has covered extensively across its many years of development. The device is finally expected to make its public debut this year.

One interesting tidbit in today’s story is that the H2 chip inside the latest-gen AirPods Pro secretly supports a low-latency transmission mode, which is designed to work in collaboration with the H2 chip inside the headset. Although the headband will have integrated speakers, The Information says Apple may require AirPods to be used when communicating with others.

A major update from MicroOLED, the company behind ActiveLook is bringing what looks like an impressive AR experience for Apple Watch owners. Offering what it says is the first real-time heads-up display for Apple Watch exercise data, ActiveLook’s new Light AR platform brings the live metrics into AR sports glasses like ENGO and Julbo.

It might seem a little early for a virtual reality antitrust intervention, in a field which is as yet still a niche interest, but the FTC is taking no chances. It has moved to block Meta’s planned purchase of VR fitness company Within.

The aggressiveness of the move makes it seem likely that Apple will face similar bars on acquiring VR companies to assist its upcoming Apple Headset product …

The future of the internet will depend on the outcome of an Apple versus Meta headset battle, claims Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

He told employees that the two companies had very different visions for the metaverse, and admitted that it’s not yet clear which will be better …

Augmented reality shopping is about to level up, thanks to a new capability introduced in iOS 16. The new Apple RoomPlan API uses the LiDAR scanner in recent iPhone Pro models to create a 3D room plan – and an impressive new demo shows just what it’s capable of.

Shopify has created a proof of concept that scans a room and then allows you to virtually empty it, ready to see how new furniture would look in the space. Alternatively, you can remove specific items, like a couch, and then slot new ones into the space …

A new supply chain report reiterates that things are still on track for an Apple headset launch date sometime early next year, but goes on to suggest that a second-generation model will go on sale earlier than expected.

Kuo recently predicted that the 2nd-gen mixed-reality headset wouldn’t launch until 2025, but today’s report says that Apple appears to be targeting 2024 instead …

We knew that Facebook’s parent company Meta was working on a new high-end VR/AR headset, but a couple of new reports reveal both the name – Meta Quest Pro – and more about what to expect.

The broad specifications for the combined virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headset seem close to what has been reported for the upcoming Apple Headset …

The global VR headset market grew by 241.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest market intelligence data. Virtual reality (VR) headset shipments are expected to hit 13.9M units for the year as a whole.

But next year is expected to be the crucial one for the VR and augmented reality (AR) sector, as Apple enters the market …

Apple didn’t say a word about augmented and virtual reality at the WWDC 2022 opening keynote (as if it was trying to hide something), but iOS 16 brings a lot of improvements when it comes to ARKit and related technologies. One of these technologies is “RoomPlan,” a new API that uses LiDAR scanning to quickly create 3D floor plans.

According to a new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has recently demoed its upcoming AR/VR headset device to the Apple company board of directors. This is a good indicator that the project is at an ‘advanced stage’ and that a public product launch is imminent.

Bloomberg previously reported that a consumer launch for the headset is planned for 2023 but an early announcement of the device is likely. Today’s report also said that the development of the headset’s operating system has ramped up in recent months.

Apple has been investing a lot in augmented and virtual reality since the introduction of its own ARKit API. However, when it comes to open standards on the web, Apple is still far behind its competitors. In the opinion of industry insiders, the company “has been a drag on innovation in WebAR,” as Safari still lacks support for the WebXR API.

Apple remote working has been a bone of contention for many US workers after the company insisted that almost everyone should return to the office at least three days a week. But there is one US team who is making extensive use of remote working: US engineers managing production in China.

Apple engineers are said to be using a combination of live-streaming video and augmented reality, with iPads the main device in use …

A joint research paper by Nvidia and Stanford University describes a technology that could be key to the difference between the bulky Apple VR headset we’re expecting to see in late 2022/early 2023 and the type of thin Apple Glasses likely to launch several years later.

One of the key challenges facing any true glasses-like AR device is the physics of display optics …

While Apple Glasses rumors continue to brew, it seems we may be getting closer to seeing an augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headset from the tech giant. According to Patently Apple, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple two mixed reality (MR) headset patents.

Epic Games announced on Monday a new app called “RealityScan,” which will let anyone use the iPhone camera to scan objects and turn them into high-fidelity 3D models. The app was developed using technologies from Capturing Reality, a company specializing in photogrammetry that was acquired by Epic in 2021.

Apple has officially announced its March event. Along with sharing the date, the company has continued its tradition of hiding a fun easter egg for iPhone and iPad users on the invite.

Supply chain sources say that Apple AR headset testing has now reached the next phase of engineering validation after moving beyond the prototype stage.

This means there are now likely 100+ units that combine the functionality of the final device with something that looks less like a prototype and more like a real product …