Apple is preparing to make one of the most important announcements in its history. The Cupertino company will show the world its first mixed reality viewer, with which it will begin to open a gap in a new market, that of reality. Virtual and augmented reality promises to transform how we communicate in the medium or long term. Even replacing the ‘smartphone.’
The chosen framework will be the WWDC, the annual developer event in which the company has traditionally shown the news that the operating systems of its devices receive. And that is going to stay the same in 2023, too. Although all the attention, or a good part, is for the expected glasses, which according to the leaks, could be called Reality Pro.
It is clear this June 5, 2023, is not another day for Apple. And not only because the firm will start competing with a new range of products but because it does so by betting on a technology that is far from democratized. On this occasion, the bitten apple is not here to play in an already established market, as with mobile phones, smart watches, or bluetooth headphones. The company will launch its model of a product that the general user, for the moment, looks at with little interest. And if not, ask Zuckerberg.
Apple has been working on the development of glasses for years. If the forecasts are met, those shown today will have virtual reality and mixed reality functionalities. Thanks to them, the user can play video games, sports or hold work meetings in digital environments. The same as the viewers of the competition, among which those billed by Meta stand out. A company that just over a year and a half ago mortgaged its future, betting (almost) everything on the development of the metaverse. So far, with little success.
The Reality Pro will feature Apple’s most powerful self-made chips, the M2, offering 4K resolution in each eye. The user can easily switch between virtual and augmented reality modes by turning a crown built into the device in the style of the Apple Watch. For the AR functions to be the best and for the device to read the user’s facial expressions and movements, the device will incorporate up to 10 cameras.
The ‘gadget’ will also have a small external battery that will increase the autonomy by approximately two hours and will sport a lighter design than in the case of the competition’s glasses. On paper, they will be more comfortable, among the clear strengths of Apple’s commitment. In principle, the viewer will not have control. The user can carry out all the actions using their hands and pressing the buttons that will incorporate the glasses. These will also come with their operating system, which could be called realityOS or xrOS.
What is clear is that the Reality Pro will only be designed for some budgets. Mixed reality is still expensive, with the new toy on the block expected to launch at around $3,000 in the United States. Much more than most competing viewers. In addition, the price will increase in the EU, without a doubt. The official launch could be delayed until the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, so the user will still have a few months to try them.
As we have said, Apple will also use the framework of the event to show its new operating systems. Among them is the iOS 17, which should reach the iPhone at the beginning of autumn.
