Back in November we first heard that Apple is aiming ramping its technology for AR headset by 2019 and ship the headset by 2020. Today, we are seeing reports that Apple is working on a headset capable of running both AR and VR technology.
Current plans at Apple hint at an 8K display for each eye which is higher resolution than today’s best TVs. The project, codenamed T288, is still in its early stages. Notably, Apple is said to be working on the headset that combines both AR and VR given the level of focus over the past year on pushing augmented reality in iPhones and iPads.
Though Apple has had smaller VR projects in the past, bringing out a headset is a major investment in VR. Reportedly, Apple’s headset would connect to a dedicated box using a high-speed, short-range wireless technology. The box might be powered by a custom Apple processor which should be powerful than anything that is currently available.
This processor would be the backbone of the AR/VR headset. Unlike the HTC VIVE, users won’t have to install special base stations in a room to detect their location since everything would be built into Apple’s headset and the box. Apple introduced the ARKit; company’s first public efforts in AR and VR at the WWDC developer conference. This ARKit helps developers make augmented reality apps for iPhones and iPads.