Ahead of the unveiling of Apple's AR/VR product, there has been skepticism that the device will be well-received, both because of its rumored $3,000 price tag and the lackluster performance of competing products from companies like Sony and Meta.
Concept render by Ian ZelboAt least one person testing the device is enthused about it, however. Leaker Evan Blass, who has provided accurate insight into Apple's plans in the past, claims to know a person who has had opportunities to "demo" the headset. Blass said that over the course of the last few months, the tester has gone from "lamenting its 'underwhelming' capabilities" to being "blown away" by the experience and the hardware.
"The leap they've made since [late last year] is giant," the Apple tester told Blass. "I was so skeptical; now I'm blown away in a 'take my money kind of way,'" they said. Blass shared the details on his Twitter account, which is private.
Apple has been working on the AR/VR headset for years now, and its debut has been pushed back multiple times as the company has aimed to solve development issues with the design and the software. Apple is now ready to preview it, and is expected to do so at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Back in March, The New York Times reported that several Apple employees it had spoken to were skeptical about the headset's potential for success. The employees have questioned whether the headset is a "solution in search of a problem" and if it is "driven by the same clarity" as other Apple devices.
Apple CEO Tim Cook in April said that with everything the company has done, there have always been "loads of skeptics." It comes with the territory of doing "something that's on the edge," Cook said.
The AR/VR headset is shaping up to be similar to the Apple Watch in terms of early functionality. It will be expensive at over $3,000, and limited in usefulness to begin with. Apple plans to iterate on the headset over time, and there are already new models in development. With the Apple Watch, Apple made notable strides in its technical capabilities, and within a few generations, the device became indispensable to many.
Apple's headset will be its first new product category since the Apple Watch. Expected to be called the "Reality Pro" or "Reality One," the headset will feature dual 4K micro OLED displays from Sony, for 8K total resolution. It will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for mapping the area around the user, reading facial expressions, interpreting gestures, and more.
Design wise, it is said to feature a sleek, curved visor made from aluminum, glass, and carbon fiber, with Apple aiming to keep weight low. In fact, it does not even have a battery built in, with the battery instead worn at the waist to prevent the headset from being too heavy.
Apple is working on updating its apps for the device, with a specific focus on communication and collaboration, television and sports, gaming, and health and fitness.
More on what's expected for the AR/VR headset can be found in our AR/VR headset roundup.
