There is a proverb: Only smoke comes with fire. And judging by the amount of smoke coming out of Apple’s next big product rumors and reports, a virtual reality/augmented reality headsetwe will almost certainly see it transparent WWDC 2023 Opening Speech in Monday.
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The headset will carry the Reality Pro name and share the same basic design elements as a pair of ski goggles. There will be a battery pack that you have to connect to the headset with a cable, with the battery pack presumably attached to your hip or in your pocket.
by Bloomberg Mark Gurman did a lot of reporting on the headset, detailing what he heard from insiders about the various hardware and software aspects of what is being billed as one of the most desirable pieces of hardware. Apple’s most awaited launch since the Apple Watch in 2014.
Since its launch, Apple has sold more than 200 million Apple Watch units. Jason Hiner/ZDNET
Reality Pro’s current rumored cost? 3,000 dollars. If you need some time to catch your breath, take advantage of it. I will wait.
That price begs the question “What would Apple convince you to pay $3,000 for this headset?” And the truth is, I can’t think of anything right now that Apple could show Reality Pro doing that would convince me to part with that money.
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You see, over the past year or so, I’ve had access to Meta Quest 2 Headphones $400. Meta sent it to me when the company was promoting Horizon Worlds for business meetings. I never finished use it for a meeting – it’s awkward and weird. Instead, I spend time playing games like Beat Saber and watching them play Gorilla Tag.
Playing either of those games, depending on your intensity level, can feel like a workout. There are times when you are out of breath and drenched in sweat. The headband that wraps around the inside of the headset, between the headset and your face, often gets wet. And it stinks. And total. Just thinking about it makes me say Oh!
How Apple could convince us to spend $3,000
In April, Gurman report about some of the use cases Apple is currently working on for Reality Pro. It is said to have features like the ability to run 3D versions of iPad apps, use 3D avatars for FaceTime calls, support for major gaming, and integration with Apple’s Fitness+ service for workouts. practice, and other features.
None of that sounds appealing enough to me to justify the $3,000 price tag, but at least the idea of taking a Fitness+ class with a Reality Pro worn on my face.
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Can you imagine yourself doing a burpee with a head-mounted VR/AR headset? I can not. It sounds extremely annoying and unappealing at all.
Not to mention the headphones are said to not even have a battery included, meaning there will be a loose cable going from somewhere on the headset to the battery somewhere else on your body. For me, it’s just asking for the cable to get tangled up in my arm when I’m doing kickboxing, my turn to yank the headset out of my face, throw the battery at the wall, or both. Perhaps a meditation class would be better?
This is Meta’s description of what works in VR. Does that sound comfortable to you? meta
Then there’s the hygienic aspect of sweat in the headphones, and the cushions are definitely in place. It will smell and become gross over time. And if you share it with a roommate or family member — if you’re spending $3,000 on it and you’re not a developer or a business user, who are you likely to share it with? that, isn’t it? — earphone cleanliness is definitely an issue.
When will the Reality Pro headset be available?
like Apple Watch, Reality Pro will have a long delay between notification and wider availability. The current line of thought is that the headphones will be announced at the developer conference and hit shelves before the end of 2023. The first Apple Watch was announced in September and launched in April next year.
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The time between announcement and release gives Apple more time to improve the hardware and software experience, and gives third-party developers time to work on new, ported, and optimized software. Transform existing apps or create a whole new experience for headphones.
I really don’t know what Apple plans for Reality Pro and how the average consumer will use the headset. But based on the number of features and apps that were supposed to be available on day one, it doesn’t seem like Apple really knows either.
