Apple is set to launch a mixed-reality headset in June, complete with a trove of software and services designed to make it more appealing to consumers. At a cost of approximately $3,000, this headset is being described as a game-changer, with features that include gaming, fitness, collaboration tools, and the ability to watch sports. Apple is hoping to sell consumers on the idea that this device will become a must-have tool for producing and consuming content in a new and unique way.
Apple is planning to adapt iPad apps for its new headset, which will blend virtual and augmented reality. According to sources familiar with the company’s plans, users will be able to access millions of existing apps from third-party developers through the device’s new 3D interface. The push will include optimized versions of Safari, Apple’s services for calendars, contacts, files, home control, mail, maps, messaging, notes, photos, reminders, as well as its music, news, stocks, and weather apps. The features will look and feel similar to their iPad counterparts.
The company is also working on new apps designed explicitly for the headset, including a version of Apple Books that will allow users to read in virtual reality. Additionally, Apple is testing a camera app that can take pictures from the headset, and a meditation app to help wearers relax. For fitness enthusiasts, Apple is developing a version of its Fitness+ service, which will let users exercise while watching an instructor in VR.
One of the most significant selling points for the headset is the development of Apple’s Freeform collaboration app, which will let users work on virtual whiteboards together while in mixed reality. FaceTime will generate 3D versions of users in virtual meeting rooms to create an immersive meeting experience.
Apple is hoping to position the headset as a device for getting work done, with support for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, as well as iMovie and GarageBand for video and music production. Gaming will also be a central piece of the device’s appeal, a reversal from Apple’s stance earlier in the product’s development. The company has been working with a small number of developers to help them upgrade their existing software for mixed reality.
Apple is also looking to make sports a more immersive experience on the headset. The company already offers games from Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball on Apple TV+, and it’s looking to expand its offerings further.
A critical feature of the device will be a dial that lets the wearer move between virtual and augmented reality. With VR, users will be fully immersed in their apps, while AR-enabled users will see the real world around them in a similar fashion to ARKit experiences on iPhones and iPads. The device will run multiple apps at the same time, floating within the mixed-reality interface.
Apple’s hardware products have always depended on having a robust assortment of software, and the mixed-reality headset is no exception. Apple is looking to adapt and optimize its existing apps while creating new ones explicitly designed for this new device. The hope is to create a platform that can eventually replace the iPhone, although that’s likely a long way out.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will be a pivotal moment for the company to showcase its new mixed-reality headset. With its trove of software and services, Apple is hoping to convince consumers that this device is a must-have tool for both producing and consuming content. However, it remains to be seen whether Apple’s headset can become more than a niche product and generate the same kind of momentum as the iPhone.
