Known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has come out with a new investor note, and this time, it is making predictions on the Cupertino-based giant’s Augmented Reality (AR) plans. In his research note, Kuo predicted that Apple will release a “helmet type” headset with AR and VR capabilities in 2022, followed by a pair of AR glasses in 2025, and eventually an AR contact lens between 2030-2040.
In Kuo’s research note, obtained by 9to5Mac, he says that Apple is already testing prototypes and the current prototypes of the Apple AR/VR headset could weigh somewhere between 200 grams to 300 grams. “If Apple can successfully solve the significant technical problems, the final product weight will be reduced to 100–200 grams,” he was quoted as saying. The AR/VR headset will use Sony‘s micro-OLED display panels and will have an independent power and storage supply. This means that the AR/VR headset may just be able to run without an iPhone. Kuo was quoted in his notes as saying that Apple will position the AR/VR headset more like a portable product rather than a mobile product.
This comes after reports of Apple’s “mixed reality” headset were doing the rounds last month. A report, published in The Information, said that Apple’s “mixed reality” headset may come with ultra high resolution 8K displays and advanced eye-tracking technology. The report also said that the “mixed reality” headset will use more than a dozen cameras for tracking movements.
ALSO SEE: In Photos: Apple’s $3,000 Mixed Reality Headset Renders Based on Recently-Conceptualised Sketch
While it seems as the same product that Kuo has talked about in his latest research note, the price predicted by Kuo is significantly cheaper than the price reported last month. Kuo said that the headset may be priced similar to a high-end iPhone – somewhere around $1,000 (roughly Rs 73,000). The report last month had said that Apple’s mixed reality headset could cost as much as $3,000 (roughly Rs 2.19 lakh).
Apart from the mixed reality headset, Kuo also predicted that Apple may launch its AR smart glasses by 2025 at the earliest. The TF Securities analyst said that Apple is yet to begin a prototype production of the smart glasses and the key feature will be Apple’s custom “optical see-through AR experience” to overlay the AR elements onto the real world.
Kuo says that the AR glasses may also come with an independent power and storage space and will likely be positioned as a mobile product. The production of the glasses and the mixed reality headset would be parallel, which means Apple could sell them both at the same time, even though the predicted dates of arrival are about three years apart from each other.
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