What you need to know
- An internal Apple presentation is said to have outed new AR headset and glasses.
- The headset won't be ready until 2022.
- The AR glasses will need extra time to incubate, arriving in 2023.
Apple's fabled AR headset won't be ready until 2022, according to a report detailing an internal presentation. The presentation is said to have confirmed that the headset will arrive in 2022, with AR glasses coming a year later.
The report by The Information claims that an Apple presentation was held in the Steve Jobs Theater in Octobber, with AR head Mike Rockwell leading proceedings.
Apple executives discussed the timelines, which haven't been previously reported, in an internal presentation to employees at the company's Cupertino, California, campus in October, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple vice president Mike Rockwell, who heads the team responsible for Apple's AR and virtual reality initiatives, led the meeting, which included new details about the design and features of the AR headset, these people said. The product timetables run counter to recent analyst and media reports that said an Apple AR device could arrive as early as next year.
It is also reported that there were enough people in attendance to fill the 1,000-seater theater which means there is now lots of people with information on the subject. That could well only improve the rate at which AR-related leaks appear.
The group presentation was attended by enough employees to fill the 1,000-seat Steve Jobs Theater at Apple headquarters, suggesting Apple has a sizeable team working on AR projects
Despite there being no hardware ready for another two or three years, Apple's team members were treated to videos and explainers covering what the new products will be capable of. "Thermal archtecture" is also said to have been a subject of discussion – something that has killed the 2013 Mac Pro and AirPower charging mat in recent years.
The talk included videos and explanations of some of the devices' features along with updates from other teams involved in the projects, the people said. Executives also discussed the hardware's "thermal architecture," or its methods of dissipating heat, which suggests the development of the devices is progressing.
I'd strongly suggest checking out the full piece over on The Information for the full rundown on what was said during this presentation. But the really important part here is that after months of rumors and guesswork it seems there is indeed something happening with AR inside Apple. And beyond putting players in Minecraft or making dinosaurs appear on basketball courts.
