Ahead of WWDC 2023, the hype for Apple’s mixed-reality headset continues to build up. Amid teases by game developers, industry insiders, and even Apple themselves, the company’s most ardent fans and despondent critics eagerly await its foray into a new category for the first time in seven years. The Information has added more fuel to the fire in a new article detailing the headset’s svelte profile and resulting manufacturing challenges.
The article describes the headset as the “most complicated hardware product Apple has ever created.” The headset’s manufacturing is said to be extremely complex and largely responsible for the expected $3,000 price tag. The difficult manufacturing process stems from the headset’s “unconventional” curved front glass and impressively light aluminum and carbon fiber chassis that is further reduced in weight thanks to the external battery pack. The headset’s chassis is also said to be somewhat thicker than a typical iPhone, meaning that it will be dramatically thinner than any other VR headset on the market such as Sony’s PS VR2 and Meta’s Quest Pro.
Apple’s mixed-reality headset and its accompanying “xrOS” software platform will be the star of WWDC come Monday. The headset’s appearance will resemble that of ski goggles, featuring two 4K 1.41-inch micro-OLED displays with impressive brightness and pixel density specs, an iris scanner for biometric authentication, and dual processors based on the M2 chip architecture.
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The headset’s “xrOS” software platform is said to feature a home screen similar to that of the iPhone and iPad with a customizable grid of apps and widgets and a suite of 3D iPad-based apps, including FaceTime, Fitness, Meditation, Freeform, TV, and more. Users will navigate “xrOS” via hand and eye gestures powered by a dozen cameras and sensors tracking system.
WWDC 2023 will kick off at 10 a.m. PDT on Monday, June 5, at Apple Park in a live-streamed prerecorded event. Be sure to check out Supercharged’s recap of everything expected to be unveiled at WWDC.
