You won’t need an iPhone to get started with your new Apple AR/VR headset.
Antonio De Rosa
Apple’s heavily rumoured AR/VR headset won’t need an iPhone to get up and running, according to a new report. That’s unlike the Apple Watch and will ensure that non-iPhone users will be able to configure the headset without enlisting the help of someone else.
Apple is expected to finally announce the AR/VR headset, rumoured to be called Reality Pro, at some point in 2023. It’s possible we will see an unveiling at WWDC23 which will likely take place in June. But rumours seem to be fluid right now, perhaps because Apple’s own in-house plans are yet to be set in stone.
Now, Bloomberg’s well-connected Mark Gurman reports that the headset won’t need an iPhone to be set up. Gurman was writing in his weekly Power On newsletter and said that the headset “probably won’t require an iPhone for setup or use.”
That’s all apparently thanks to the fact that the latest test versions of the device all feature an onboard opearing system called xrOS. That system can reportedly handle initial configuration all on its own, with user content and data downloaded directly from iCloud and Apple’s otehr services.
That doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to integrate an iPhone into the mix, however. Gurman says that you’ll still “be able to transfer your data from an iPhone or iPad, just as you can today when setting up a new device.”
Whenever Apple does actually get around to announcing the new headset, we can expect many to be priced out of it. Rumours continue to claim that the headset will sell for around $3,000 which is far from cheap. However, it’s thought that there will be plenty fo technology to justify the asking price. The first model will use an Apple M2 chip as well as a secondary chip dedicated to AR and VR data handling while multiple motion-tracking cameras are also touted.
If Apple is indeed going to announce its headset at WWDC23, we can perhaps expect developers to be given the tools they need to make apps for it at the same time.
