A “friend” of the Apple 3.0 blog has “gone negative” on Apple stock due to the lack of progress and wild hype over the company’s rumored “Apple Car” and augmented reality headset (the so-called “Reality Pro).
The entire report is an interesting friend, but I’m especially intrigued by the friend’s (“Tommo”) ideas for an Apple AR headset. He’s convinced if a headset appears at all, it won’t be a niche expensive product but priced initially like the iPod and iPhone were to constrain initial demand to meet supply and test features. Instead, he thinks it will be aimed squarely at broad and mass adoption as widespread as sunglasses are, with regular and pro versions.
From the blog: Has anyone considered they may include optical functions to replace rather than sit over prescription glasses? The technology to digitally scan the eye and retina already exists after all. Using an adaptive lens to deliver a bespoke image to the eye whilst overlaying the view with AR features would solve two problems in one: The need to wear an additional pair of glasses, and in wearing Apple Glasses which digitally adjusts to your eyesight, also offer enhanced perception through image adjustment, augmented reality through overlaid information, and a virtual reality mode for game playing. This also has health benefits — Apple Glasses could give your eyes a thorough and daily health check and pre-empt many severe long term conditions, just by putting them on.
Now that would be a world game changer. Prescription glasses at their simplest. A full eye checkup in the process. Immersive VR glasses at their most advanced and many functions in between, all by just using variations of technology built into eye sensors, adaptive glasses, and perhaps even variable lens opacity to act as sun glasses as well.
Most of these technologies are well tested and exist. All of the sensors have been tested in iPhones. Battery life and connectivity features have been pushed to the max in the Watch Ultra.
In my opinion an Apple headset is likely to be the complete opposite of what’s been discussed. An optical health product combined with a genuinely useful AR device, with gaming option and produced in a ranged of perhaps three different styles of frame and colours (inevitable Silver, Space Grey or Rose Gold will be on offer).
Regarding the ‘RealityPro’
When it comes to the Reality Pro, the rumors are abundant. Such a device will arrive this year. Or 2025, Or 2026. It will be a head-mounted display. Or may have a design like “normal” glasses. Or it may be eventually be available in both. The Reality Pro may or may not have to be tethered to an iPhone to work. Other rumors say that it could have a custom-build Apple chip and a dedicated operating system dubbed “rOS” for “reality operating system.” Or perhaps “xrOS” for extended reality operating system.
