- Pinch gestures and eye tracking will form primary input method
- Siri and virtual "Air-keyboards" will also feature
- Market release not expected until "months after" WWDC
Apple’s first hardware entry into the mixed reality headset space is set to use biometric iris scanning for identity verification, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The headset will allegedly be controlled by a combination of hand and eye gestures, with the eye tracking inside the visor determining the user’s gaze, and pinch gestures to select and move through menus. This will be supplemented with an “in-air virtual keyboard” and Siri, with the option to connect a physical keyboard.
A Digital Crown-like dial will also be present, allowing users to move between immersive virtual reality (VR) and real-world blended augmented reality (AR) using cameras around the device’s exterior. In VR mode, users would be fully immersed, while switching to AR will allow visibility of the world around the user blended with the visuals from the headset.
The headset is expected to be revealed at WWDC’s headlining keynote on June 5. Gurman adds that the headset is unlikely to go on sale and ship to the consumer until “months later” after the announcement