10 Innovative Features to Look For in Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset

10 Innovative Features to Look For in Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset

Apple plans to launch its first mixed reality headset next year, ushering in a new product category. Rumors say that the new headset will work with both AR and VR technology and will have better features than similar products.

Apple's hardware and software led it to dominate those categories within a few short years of entering a new market with the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and the same thing is likely to happen with augmented and virtual reality. We've made a list of ten rumored features of an AR/VR headset that will make it stand out from the rest.

Micro-OLED 4K Displays

Apple is using two Sony high-resolution 4K micro-OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Meta's new top-of-the-line Quest Pro, on the other hand, has LCD screens, which suggests that Apple will have much better display technology.

Micro-OLED displays are built directly on chip wafers instead of glass substrates. This makes them thinner, smaller, and lighter than LCDs and other options, and they use less power.

To reduce the processing power required to run the device, Apple's design will block out peripheral light and adjust display quality for peripheral vision. Apple will be able to reduce graphical fidelity in the headset's peripherals by implementing eye tracking functionality.

Several Dozens of Cameras

Apple is equipping its AR/VR headset with more than a dozen cameras that will capture motion and translate it to virtual movement. It is said to have two downward-facing cameras to specifically capture leg movement, which will be a unique feature that will allow for more accurate motion tracking.

The cameras will be able to map the environment, detecting surfaces, edges, and dimensions in rooms, as well as people and other objects, with pinpoint accuracy. The cameras may also be able to do things like improve small type and track body movements.

Scanning of the Iris

The AR/VR headset will include an iris scanner that can read the pattern of the user's eye for privacy and security purposes, allowing an iris scan to be used in place of a password and for payment authentication. 

Iris scanning will function similarly to Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It may allow two people to use the same headset at the same time, which is a feature not available on competing headsets such as Meta's new Quest Pro.

Tracking of Facial Expressions

The cameras in the AR/VR headset will be able to translate facial expressions into virtual avatars. So, if you smile or scowl in real life, your virtual avatar will make the same expression in various apps, similar to how the iPhone and iPad's TrueDepth camera system works with Memoji and Animoji.

Design that is thin and light

Apple is aiming for comfort, and the AR/VR headset is rumored to be made of mesh fabric and aluminum, making it significantly lighter and thinner than other mixed reality headsets on the market. Apple wants the weight to be around 200 grams, which is significantly lighter than Meta's 722 gram Quest Pro.

In March 2021, an Apple analyst named Ming-Chi Kuo said that the prototypes weighed between 200 and 300 grams.

Methods of Control

Hand gestures will be detected by 3D sensing modules for control purposes, as will skin detection. Apple will enable voice control, and the AR/VR headset, like other Apple devices, will support Siri. Apple has tested a thimble-like device worn on the finger, but it is unclear what input methods will be available with the new device.

Headbands that are interchangeable

The mesh fabric behind the eyepieces will make the headset comfortable to wear, and it will come with interchangeable Apple Watch-style headbands. 

One headband is said to have spatial audio technology for a surround sound experience, while another is said to have extra battery life. It's not clear if these will be sold, but headbands that can do different things are a possibility.

App Experiences That Are One-of-a-Kind

The headset will use a new operating system called rOS, also known as "Reality OS." Apple is developing exclusive apps for the virtual reality experience. Apple is said to be working on a VR FaceTime-like experience with Animoji in which you might see a 3D Animoji or Memoji character version of a person rather than the person themselves.

The aforementioned facial expression detection would allow the headset to read and match facial expressions and features in real time for a more lifelike chatting experience. Apple is working with media partners to make VR content, and it's likely that existing services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade will work with the headset.

According to a recent unreliable rumor, Apple is working on a new version of the Messages app that could include a new home view and chat rooms specifically for virtual and augmented reality chat features.

The Silicon Chip from Apple

According to rumors, Apple will use two Mac-level M2 processors for the AR/VR headset, giving it more built-in compute power than competitors. Apple will use a high-end main processor and a lower-end processor to manage the device's sensors.

Operation on its own

The headset, which has two Apple silicon chips, won't need to be connected to an iPhone or Mac to get power. Instead, it will be able to work on its own.