Apple’s Mixed Reality headset might be unveiled much sooner than expected

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen some important details surrounding Apple’s upcoming Mixed Reality headset trickle online, with leaks predicting an 8K panel, advanced eye-tracking technology, and a lot more. So far, the rumor mill has been pointing towards a 2022 debut of the wearable device (or even further), but it appears that the highly-anticipated Apple device might arrive much sooner than expected. As per the ever-reliable Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple might announce its Mixed Reality headset in the next few months.

“Sometime in the next several months, the company is poised to announce a mixed reality headset, its first major new device since 2015. If possible, Apple won’t want to make such a critical announcement at an online event. It wants employees, the media, its partners and developers in the room.”
Apple Mixed Reality headset
Concept render of Apple’s upcoming MR headset (Image: Antonio De Rosa)

Now, WWDC 2021 is just over two months away, and it is quite likely that Apple might introduce its VR ambitions to the world at the developers conference, which is where new builds of iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and watchOS will be revealed. And after that, Apple might actually reveal the actual Mixed Reality headset at another event in the subsequent months, or possibly on the same stage as its next iPhone launch.

Apple's upcoming MR headset will reportedly be targeted at enterprise customers

It is also likely that Apple might only unveil its Mixed Reality headset in the coming months, and will give developers some time to prepare for the platform before the device actually goes on sale. This strategy would follow in the footsteps of Apple announcing a shift away from Intel and switch to in-house silicon months ahead of the first Macs that came equipped with the M1 chip.

Apple Mixed Reality headset concept render
A drawing by The Information of Apple’s possible Mixed Reality headset (Image: The Information)

As per TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple Mixed Reality headset will come equipped with hybrid ultra-short focal length Fresnel lenses made of plastic to keep their weight below 150 grams. He adds that the device will have a total of 15 camera modules, eight of which will be used for the core AR/VR experience while the rest will be employed for unspecified biometric function(s).

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Apple’s mixed reality headset: 15 camera modules, micro-LED display, and “significantly lighter”

Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset has been doing the rounds for a while now. The device was earlier tipped to pack over a dozen camera modules backed by advanced eye-tracking technology. Now, we have the exact number. The upcoming Apple mixed reality headset could feature a total of 15 optical camera modules. More features of the device have been tipped in the latest report.

According to MacRumors, which cites analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, eight of the 15 camera modules will be used for see-through augmented reality experiences. Further, six of them will be used for “innovative biometrics,” and one camera module will be used for environmental detection. It is said that Largan will supply majority of the 15 camera lenses.

As per the report, the upcoming Apple mixed reality headset is touted to be “portable” but not “mobile” like an iPhone. It will come with independent computing power and storage. The current prototypes weigh in at 200 to 300 grams. However, the final product could weigh less than 200 grams if Apple is “able to solve technical problems.”

Moreover, it is tipped that the Apple mixed reality headset will be “significantly lighter” than many VR devices on the market. It is said to provide an “immersive experience that is significantly better than existing VR products.” The device will feature high-end micro-OLED displays, and it could cost around $1,000, which is surprising since previous reports have tipped that the headset would cost around $3,000.

The rumored Apple mixed reality headset is said to come equipped with 8K displays. Previous reports have said that the device will offer advanced eye-tracking technology. If it comes with an 8K panel, it would have the most pixel-dense screen on a commercially available consumer device that falls under the wearable segment.

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Xiaomi got blacklisted by US government partly over an award received by its founder

Earlier this year in January, the US government put Xiaomi on a military blacklist that prohibited American entities from investing in the company. Xiaomi later went to court seeking to overturn the designation that could severely hamper its business prospects, citing severe and irreparable damage. Now, legal filings of the US Department have revealed that an award conferred upon Xiaomi co-founder and CEO Lei Jun was partly responsible for the company getting blacklisted.

The state agency that gave the award is perceived as a threat by US Defense Department

Jun received the Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics award in 2019 from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Now, MIIT is the state agency that regulates everything from telecom and internet to electronics production and industrial policy in China. However, the US Defense Department believes that MIIT oversees the Military-Civil Fusion development strategy of China which supports the modernization goals of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by helping it with advanced technology. 

“The award is given once every five years to top private-sector entrepreneurs. The last award, in 2019, was given to 100 people. Other notable CEOs who also made the cut include Ding Lei of internet and videogame company NetEase Inc., Wang Gaofei of social media firm Weibo Corp., Wang Chuanfu of auto maker BYD Co.,” says a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Xiaomi, on the other hand, has argued that the US Department of Defense did not give it a chance to respond before blacklisting the company, and has also stressed that it is not controlled by – or affiliated with – the Chinese government or military

Another reason that landed Xiaomi in hot waters was the company’s plan to invest around $7.7 billion for the development of 5G and AI over the course of the next five years. Xiaomi’s ambition of ‘absolute dominance’ in the smart living segment by leveraging a combination of AI, 5G, and IoT also reportedly raised alarms. In the eyes of the US Defense Department, 5G and AI are the core components of the Chinese state’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy that poses a threat to the United States. 

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Pocketnow Daily: Apple’s March Event Seems PACKED! (video)

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 2 and more devices are on sale

Apple’s latest M1 13-inch MacBook Pro, LG monitors are on sale today

OnePlus 8, the Pixel 4 and more Android phones are also on sale today

And what that means is that we have more Valentine’s Day deals for you because you should take advantage of them, with or without a partner. Starting with Samsung, the Galaxy S21 is still available for just $99 if you get it Unlocked with a trade-in and you also get $50 off instant credit for accessories. The S21+ is also available for as low as $199 with an extra $75 in credit, and the S21 Ultra is still going for $399 with $100 in instant credit. And by the way, don’t forget that SUPCASE is still our favorite choice for device protection. Use promo code 10POCKETNOW on Amazon to get 10% off the Award Winning UB Pro, or use promo code POCKETNOW15 on SUPCASE.com for a 15% discount as well. Moving on to the M1 MacBook Pro, it is currently available for $100 off on both Amazon and B&H, leaving the entry level model for $1200 shipped. OnePlus also has the regular 8 for $100 off, meaning it starts at $699 for both color variants. The T-Mobile variant of the 7T is also available for $200 off, leaving that at $399. Finally, if you’re looking for a Google Pixel, the Pixel 4 is $250 off its original price tag, leaving the entry level variant for $549. And guys, we have more deals on LG monitors which are some of my favorites, Dell Laptops, other Pixels and more in the links in the description.

TikTok sale to Walmart and Oracle shelved

Let’s move the spotlight on to TikTok which, had a very interesting end to their 2020. If you remember, back in September, the company reached a deal with Oracle and Walmart, to avoid the US ban that was being imposed on them. The deal was approved by the administration but, when the sale deadline came on December 4th, the government gave them no response so the deal was left off in kind of a limbo. Now, it looks like the new President of the US has different plans. According to the Wall Street Journal, TikTok’s deal with Oracle and Walmart has been put on hold “indefinitely”. Apparently the new President is reviewing the past efforts which were based on handling security risks from Chinese tech companies. Now, the officials haven’t ruled out anything just yet but it looks like the sale might not happen at all. However, the new administration might have to make a decision pretty soon as, they are supposed to deliver a formal response before February 18th as part of TikTok’s lawsuit. We’ll see how this evolves next week as, we know that they might end up selling or, simply making changes to the app and the algorithm it uses to recommend you videos as, that wouldn’t be sold.

First signs of a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE aka Fan Edition have emerged

Moving on back to Samsung, a couple of weeks ago we covered how the company might already be working on the S21 FE but, that was kind of a reach and most likely just an LTE variant of the S21. However, we have a new report from SamMobile, showing off the model number of a new Samsung device which reportedly belongs to the S21 Fan Edition. Now, the report mentions that Samsung hasn’t launched LTE variants of their flagships just yet, so they’re assuming that they’re only trying to streamline things by bringing this model number of the Galaxy S21 FE in line with the rest of the Galaxy S21 models, basically to throw us off. Now, it is pretty early in the year when compared to when we got the S20 FE, but we are expecting the specs on this phone to include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870, a similar camera to the Galaxy S21 Trio, 5G and of course, a high refresh rate AMOLED display. The report also mentions that Samsung might go the same route by bringing a wide array of bright color options, to market it in the same way they did last fall. So yeah, let’s hope we get this phone somewhat soon as the S20 FE was a great pick last year.

This is what we could expect from Apple’s new mixed reality headset

Let’s move on to Cupertino for the rest of the show, beginning with their upcoming Mixed Reality headset as, we’ve had a ton of leaks in the past 2 weeks. Now, we have some new patents for this headset which were made public yesterday. This headset is listed as a “Head-Mounted Display Unit with Adaptable Facial Interface” and it explains how the design elements can prevent the headset from moving around when the person moves while providing a comfortable fit. Now, there’s a ton of technical jargon here so, apparently it’ll feature at least one eye tracking camera, an illumination source that emits infrared light to the user’s eyes, and a diffraction grating located in the eye pieces. Other details mention over a dozen cameras, to help achieve the eye tracking, as well as the 8K displays, making everything look as good as possible. Another image on the patents show that this might work in a Tony Stark kind of way where, it will display a 3D text generation and editing GUI in a virtual spaces, which includes a virtual screen for you to enter or edit text in documents via a keypad from the input device. Apparently the text document or area can be placed and moved to various depths in your 3D virtual space. Very Michael Fisher Iron Man if you ask me. We should expect this headset as soon as next year and priced at $3000 to compete with Microsoft’s solution… which sounds all enterprise.

Story of the day:

Apple’s next-gen iPad Pro and AirTags object tracker rumored to arrive next month

Finally, for the hottest news today, let’s talk Apple leaks as, we’re due some products. Earlier today Jon Prosser went on an answering and tweeting spree where he gave us some new information on when we should expect some things. First off, let’s get iPhone 13 out of the way as, someone asked him if Touch ID was still coming to iPhones this year, and Prosser simply replied “Yup”. Now, moving on to other products and their launch dates, he tweeted out that AirTags, which have been ready for months now, are still slated to launch in March. Of course this isn’t set in stone but, he claims that his sources haven’t mentioned any further delays this time. Meaning it should finally be a done deal. Now, speaking of March, someone also asked him about a new iPad Pro with Prosser replying that we should also expect it in March as far as he knows. Now, to expand on these products, we’re expecting the AirTags to be Tile-like tackers that will help you keep track of your belongings. And yes, you’ll most likely have to attach them to a third party accessory to carry it around. When it comes to the iPad, we’re expecting a similar design to the current iPad Pro with the dual camera at the back, the boxy design, Face ID and we really hope this is the debut of mini-LED displays. Finally, for iPhone 13, we’re expecting a shorter notch, Touch ID and upgraded cameras for all 4 models this year.
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Apple’s upcoming Mixed Reality headset gets concept rendered. Hey, Ready Player One!

Earlier this month, the first details of Apple’s upcoming high-end Mixed Reality headset made their way online. The report by The Information also spilled the beans on some of the hardware details such as 8K panels, an advanced eye-tracking technology, and a rumored price tag of around $3000. The report also showed a rough sketch of what the headset might look like. And now, it has been given the concept render treatment by artist Antonia De Rosa, who is calling the device Apple View.

Apple's Mixed Reality headset will reportedly pack over a dozen cameras

The renders created by De Rosa show a headset with a curved display on the front, multiple camera lenses scattered around the periphery, and Apple branding in the middle. As per the leaked details, Apple’s Mixed Reality headset will come equipped with ‘over a dozen cameras’, but the concept-based renders don’t show that many camera lenses on the curved front profile.

Taking a peek inside, there is a mesh-like fabric attachment that serves as the eye cover, and appears to be inspired by the earcup finish on the AirPods Max headphones. There are two separate screens, with each one reportedly offering a class-leading 8K resolution. The headband also looks quite similar to Apple’s pricey over-the-ear headphones, although it has a flat profile on the Mixed Reality headset concept.

Apple's $3,000 Mixed Reality headset will reportedly be targeted at enterprise customers

And just like the headphones, the concept renders imagine the strap as well as eye cover flaunting multiple colors, with users likely having the convenience of swapping them if they want. The surrounding frame appears to be made out of Aluminum with what appears to be a power button at the top with an off-center placement.

It is worth noting here that the concept renders depict Apple’s upcoming Mixed Reality headset as being quite thin compared to VR headsets from the likes of Oculus. Actually, they look a lot like the virtual reality headsets depicted in Steven Spielberg’s 2018 sci-fi flick Ready Player One. Apple’s upcoming Mixed Reality headset might not debut as a mass-market device, and just like Microsoft’s HoleLens 2, it will allegedly be targeted at enterprise customers.

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Apple working on Mixed Reality headset with over a dozen cameras and 8K displays: Report

Over the past couple of years, we’ve come across multiple reports and rumors about Apple’s Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) headsets as well as glasses. However, it appears that the company is also at work on a rather ambitious Mixed Reality (MR) headset that comes with an impressive hardware portfolio and might go against Microsoft’s $3,500 HoloLens 2.

Over a dozen cameras backed by advanced eye-tracking technology

As per an exhaustive report by The Information, Apple is working on a Mixed Reality headset that will come equipped with over a dozen cameras for head and hand-movement tracking, as well as capturing the real world in its view. In comparison, the Microsoft HoloLens features a total of seven cameras – four visible light-sensing cameras, a pair of infrared (IR) cameras, and a 1-megapixel ToF depth sensor.

READ MORE: Apple VR headset with fabric design and a fan could launch next year

Another impressive aspect of Apple’s rumored Mixed Reality headset is that it might come equipped with 8K displays. Microsoft’s offering, on the other hand, is fitted with a 2K panel. The report cites a source ‘with direct knowledge of the device’ and adds that the headset will offer advanced eye-tracking technology.

Apple's mixed reality headset could offer the highest resolution display out there

Now, an 8K panel would be the most pixel-dense screen on a commercially available consumer device that falls under the wearable segment. However, Apple reportedly has a solution at its disposal to ensure that driving such a high-resolution display doesn’t end up hogging all the system resources.

“Apple has for years worked on technology that uses eye tracking to fully render only parts of the display where the user is looking. That would let the headset show lower-quality graphics in the user’s peripheral vision and reduce the device’s computing needs,” adds the report.

READ MORE: Apple’s AR glasses have entered the second phase of prototype development: Report

Apple's MR headset won't come cheap and might be priced around $3,000

Coming to the pricing part, Apple has reportedly discussed offering its Mixed Reality headset for around $3,000, which is $500 lower than what Microsoft asks for its own headset. Coming to the design aspect, a rough sketch based on a prototype created by The Information shows a curved display surrounded by a mesh fabric and a swappable headband that appears to take some inspiration from the design of Apple Watch straps.

As for the target audience, Apple reportedly aims for its Mixed Reality headset to help boost productivity via remote collaboration, assist in learning new skills via interactive methods, and aid with design visualization via 3D tools among others. Needless to say, all of it sounds like a device geared towards enterprise customers, just like the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset.

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