Gurman: FaceTime for Apple AR/VR Headset Could Rely on Memojis and SharePlay

Memojis and SharePlay could be central to the FaceTime experience on Apple's long-rumored mixed-reality headset, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

General Apps FaceTime
Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, has previously said that Apple's mixed-reality headset will focus on gaming, media consumption, and communication. The headset itself is rumored to run "rOS" or "realityOS," internally codenamed "Oak."

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman clarified what he expects from ‌FaceTime‌ in realityOS, proposing that it may revolve around two of the company's existing experiences: Memojis and SharePlay.

I imagine a virtual reality version of FaceTime where you can be in a conference room with dozens of people. Instead of seeing their actual faces, you'll see 3D versions of them (Memojis). I assume the headset will be able to determine a person's facial expressions in real time, making the experience fairly lifelike. I would also look for heavy use of SharePlay in the new realityOS, allowing multiple headset wearers to experience music, movies and games together.

Apple's work on realityOS has been rumored since 2017, but the existence of the operating system was finally confirmed this week when references to it were found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code.

Apple introduced Memojis in 2018 with iOS 12, while SharePlay is a much more recent addition that arrived with iOS 15.1 last year. Speculation suggests that many new features Apple has released in recent years, such as ARKit, AR walking directions in Apple Maps, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and the LiDAR scanner, are destined for its mixed-reality headset in the long run, enabling the company to make users familiar with some of the headset's aspects and publicly iterate on them long before its release. It seems plausible that Memoji and SharePlay could also be part of this strategy.

Despite enthusiasm over Apple's headset project "approaching liftoff" this year, Gurman now believes that development issues are likely to delay the device's announcement until WWDC 2023.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Top Rated Comments

Marbles1 Avatar
21 months ago
>I imagine a virtual reality version of FaceTime where you can be in a conference room with dozens of people. Instead of seeing their actual faces, you'll see 3D versions of them (Memojis). I assume the headset will be able to determine a person's facial expressions in real time, making the experience fairly lifelike.

Why is this good?

Who wants this?
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsorcery Avatar
21 months ago
I cannot wait to pay $2,000 for a VR headset just to play phone games.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
21 months ago
Gurman: I imagine a virtual reality version of FaceTime where you can be in a conference room with dozens of people. Instead of seeing their actual faces, you'll see 3D versions of them (Memojis).

Why would you want to use Memojis in a professional meeting or in front of dozen of people?

Who wants this? Why? What for? So many questions. Just strange.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
21 months ago

I imagine…
Stopped reading there
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
21 months ago
It’s going to put people in a virtual room as cartoon avatars but don’t you call it the metaverse.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n0va Avatar
21 months ago
Nobody wants this
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...