Apple reportedly chose a standalone AR / VR headset over a more powerful tethered design

Apple’s rumored combined actuality headset looks like the worst-kept secret in tech, and a brand new report concerning the gadget from The Data (its second this week) is chock filled with particulars concerning the unannounced product’s turbulent improvement.

One of the vital notable components of the story is about Apple’s resolution to go together with a standalone headset. At one level, Apple hadn’t but determined whether or not to maneuver ahead with a extra highly effective VR headset that will be paired with a base station or a standalone one. Whereas Apple’s AR / VR chief Mike Rockwell apparently most well-liked the model with the bottom station — which included a processor that ultimately shipped because the M1 Extremely, in line with The Data — Apple executives selected to go together with the standalone product. Bloomberg reported comparable particulars in 2020.

That selection has apparently had long-term results on the event of the headset. “By the point the choice was made, the gadget’s a number of chips had already been in improvement for a number of years, making it inconceivable to return to the drafting board to create, say, a single chip to deal with all of the headset’s duties,” The Data reported. “Different challenges, comparable to incorporating 14 cameras on the headset, have precipitated complications for {hardware} and algorithm engineers.”

The report additionally contains particulars about Jony Ive’s continued session on the mission’s design even after his official departure from Apple. Ive “prefers” a wearable battery, maybe like what Magic Leap affords. However different prototypes have had the battery within the headset’s headband, and it’s unclear which shall be used within the ultimate design, The Data says.

Apple reportedly confirmed the headset to its board of administrators final week, so it might be nearing a public reveal. That stated, it might not be introduced till later this yr, and it won’t hit retailer cabinets till 2023, so we might be ready some time to attempt it for ourselves. For additional down the road, Apple is creating a pair of AR eyeglasses that appear like Ray-Ban wayfarer glasses, however The Data says these are “nonetheless a few years away from launch.” (I’m curious how they’ll differ in model from Meta and Ray-Bans’ precise wayfarer-like glasses.)