Apple's Upcoming AR/VR Headset to Require Connection to iPhone

The first AR/VR headset that Apple has in development will need to be wirelessly tethered to an iPhone or another Apple device to unlock full functionality, reports The Information.

apple mixed reality headset mockup feature orange
It will be similar to the WiFi-only version of the Apple Watch, which requires an ‌iPhone‌ connection to work. The headset is meant to wirelessly communicate with another Apple device, which will handle most of the powerful computing.

According to The Information, Apple recently completed work on the 5-nanometer custom chips that are set to be used in the headset, and that's where the connectivity detail comes from.

Apple has completed the key system on a chip (SoC) that will power the headset, along with two additional chips. All three chips have hit the tape-out stage, so work on the physical design has wrapped up and it's now time for trial production.

The chips are not as powerful as the chips used in Apple's Macs and iOS devices, without a neural engine for AI and machine learning capabilities. The chip is designed to optimize for wireless data transmission, compressing and decompressing video, and power efficiency for maximum battery life.

Though designed to work with an iOS device, the headset has a CPU and GPU, so there's a chance that it could have a standalone mode with limited functionality.

TSMC is manufacturing the chips that will be used in the headset, and mass production is said to be at least a year away. The first AR/VR headset could be released as soon as 2022, but the launch could also be pushed back if work on the device is not completed in time.

The Information has also heard that work has been completed on the image sensor and display driver for the headset, and TSMC is still working out issues with the image sensor given its large size. TSMC is working to increase the yield that it is getting during trial production.

This AR/VR headset that's in development is separate from a set of augmented reality smart glasses that are in the works. The sleeker, smaller smart glasses will follow the headset and are expected to launch in 2023.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

best buy holiday

Best Buy Reveals Black Friday Plans With Sitewide Sales Available Now

Friday November 8, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Black Friday sales are continuing today with Best Buy kicking off early Black Friday deals that will last for the next few days. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...
mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
maxresdefault

Hands On With Apple's New M4 Mac Mini

Friday November 8, 2024 12:21 pm PST by
Apple launched the new Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro models with M4 chips today, and because the Mac mini is the only one of the machines that got a design update, we thought we'd check it out to see how it compares to the prior version. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The 2024 version of the Mac mini is much smaller than the previous M2 model, so it takes up...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
next generation carplay multi display

Here's the Latest on Next-Generation CarPlay After 2.5 Years of Waiting

Wednesday November 6, 2024 8:33 am PST by
It has been nearly two and a half years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. Below, we recap the latest information about next-generation CarPlay. Launch Timing Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay support will "arrive in 2024," but it has yet to provide ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are the Rumors About M5 Models

Friday November 8, 2024 9:35 am PST by
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips launched in stores today. If you are not planning to upgrade this year, be aware that there are already rumors about next year's MacBook Pro models with M5 series chips. It appears the MacBook Pro will remain on an annual upgrade cycle next year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said camera module...

Top Rated Comments

Solver Avatar
42 months ago
Will is be using eyeOS?
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prizm Avatar
42 months ago

Don't own an iPhone (I use Android), so that gift of of an Apple Watch I recv'd was worthless and re-gifted. Great idea, Tim! Make products that people can't use unless they're fully invested in Apple's ecosystem. Once I abandoned my iPhone for Android, moving completely away from Apple products became so simple.
So...if you said goodbye to Apple, why are you here?
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jkev57 Avatar
42 months ago

If they don't call this EyePods it's a hard miss (half joking). Or maybe they'll repurpose the iSight branding (less of a joke)?

Either way, wait till version 3 or 4 to get standalone connectivity so everyone who bought the first three have to re-purchase. Man, it's nice owning this stock.
I was always disappointed that Apple called it’s web browser Safari instead of iBrowse (Eyebrows).
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonlight Avatar
42 months ago
But can I get different colored VR bands to match my Apple Watch?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rorschach Avatar
42 months ago
Just like the Watch. Gen 1 had apps all hosted on the phone and just acted like a display of sorts. Very slow. Then we got native apps later.

I assume future versions will become more and more independent, but probably will still require an iPhone for the foreseeable future.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dojoman Avatar
42 months ago

Don't own an iPhone (I use Android), so that gift of of an Apple Watch I recv'd was worthless and re-gifted. Great idea, Tim! Make products that people can't use unless they're fully invested in Apple's ecosystem. Once I abandoned my iPhone for Android, moving completely away from Apple products became so simple.
It's not a conspiracy. If Apple wants to sell more watch wouldn't it makes sense to make it compatible with more OS instead of limiting to just iOS? There's a reason it only works for Apple eco system.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)