Apple Reportedly Demos Mixed-Reality Headset In Secret Meeting
Apple has reportedly showcased its highly anticipated mixed-reality headset to its top executive ahead of a rumored launch at the company's developers conference in June. "The demonstrations were polished, glitzy and exciting," claimed Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman in his PowerOn newsletter. This won't be the first time that Apple's key decision-makers have been given a presentation of the wearable, but the latest showcase is said to have taken place at the Steve Jobs Theater where the company's yearly product launch events are organized.
Now, details are scarce about what exactly the presentation contents were, but the report alleges that a healthy number of executives are on the fence about the pricey bet on an experimental product and some team members that have tested the mixed-reality headset say the design is uncomfortable. There are reportedly a few other concerns, as well, such as a limited slate of supported multimedia content, the absence of apps that truly make it a must-buy experience for enthusiasts, and a high asking price.
Apple's headset faces high price, blurred goals
Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset is said to be the most advanced hardware of its kind out there, leapfrogging the work done by the likes of Meta and Microsoft on products such as the Quest Pro and Holo Lens headsets, respectively. Said to launch carrying the Reality Pro or Reality One branding, Apple has reportedly created a dedicated operating system for its headset called xrOS or realityOS that borrows heavily from the mobile experience in iOS. While immersive content consumption will be the focus, according to leaks thus far, Apple might even allow users to create their own augmented reality apps using the Siri virtual assistant.
All that firepower will allegedly be provided by a desktop-grade M-series processor, while over a dozen cameras will offer unprecedented inside-out motion tracking. However, all that firepower also reportedly takes a toll on the battery life, as Apple's mixed-reality headset is only said to last two hours on a single charge with the bundled battery pack. The asking price is likely going to be a deterrent, it seems, as multiple sources predict the ambitious headset to cost somewhere around $3,000 a pop.