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Apple Plans To Start Selling Its AR Headset By 2020, Bloomberg Says (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

Apple plans to have an augmented-reality headset complete by 2019, and begin selling it by 2020, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The report claims that Apple has assembled a team called "T288" with hundreds of engineers to work on an AR headset that doesn't require an iPhone to work. The team is reportedly testing their work with HTC Vive VR headsets and "a device similar to an Oculus Gear VR headset," with goal to build a fully integrated headset that includes a display and cameras powered by a custom chipset. Apple is looking into using its knowledge in designing custom silicon to create a more power-efficient chip for the headset, the report said, adding the chip could be similar to the integrated system used on the Apple Watch.

32 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. AR Headset by CRB9000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nobody needs an Assault Rifle headset. This is just wrong. The 2nd Amendment never was intended for this purpose...What?...really?...sorry, nevermind, carry on.

    1. Re:AR Headset by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      Needs a 30 round magazine at least.

    2. Re:AR Headset by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

      An assault rifle headset sounds really cool, but can your neck take the recoil is the real problem.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    3. Re:AR Headset by jcr · · Score: 1

      Thank you for not calling it a clip.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    4. Re:AR Headset by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      You're not going to wear the AR on your head. The HUD will just be synced with scope on the rifle so you'll have an easier time aiming

      That sounds far more boring than twin AK-47's mounted to either side of your head like beer cozies.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    5. Re:AR Headset by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      I own a M1 garand you insensitive clod.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    6. Re:AR Headset by geekmux · · Score: 2

      Nobody needs an Assault Rifle headset. This is just wrong. The 2nd Amendment never was intended for this purpose...What?...really?...sorry, nevermind, carry on.

      Headset development prioritization list:

      #1 - Work without needing an iPhone

      #2 - Virtual porn

      #3 - Better virtual porn

      #4 - iPorn

      #5 - iPorn with iSteve

      #6 - iPornX

      Don't worry. The only thing users will likely be assaulting, is themselves.

    7. Re: AR Headset by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      A clip is a metal strip that holds rounds together, so they can be inserted into a magazine quickly. The magazine can be internal like a Mauser bolt action rifle, or removable like an AK-47. A few rifles like the M-1 Garand, keep the rounds in the clip inside the magazine.

    8. Re: AR Headset by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      There is no such thing as a 30 round clip assault rifle. They all have detachable magazines.

  2. So when my mom tells me to take out the garbage by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

    All that I hear is "Go ahead, play your video game the rest of the night. Tonight is Friday."

    1. Re:So when my mom tells me to take out the garbage by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      All that I hear is "Go ahead, play your video game the rest of the night. Tonight is Friday."

      Yeah, but what if taking out the trash is an in-game achievement?

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    2. Re:So when my mom tells me to take out the garbage by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      Reminds me of "The Simpsons" Yard Work Simulator.

  3. iHead? by sqorbit · · Score: 1

    Possible name?

    --
    Sent from my TARDIS
    1. Re:iHead? by Luthair · · Score: 1

      iAR (stupid)

    2. Re:iHead? by Merk42 · · Score: 2

      iR (baboon)

    3. Re:iHead? by crabbz · · Score: 2

      iGlasses

    4. Re:iHead? by gtall · · Score: 1

      iClops

  4. Re:Amazing! by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    Or it could be a flop. However unlike other companies Apple at least tries to get into different markets. If they were still only making Macs like in the 1990s then Apple would be doomed. However they jumped onto the MP3 player market and the smart phone market. To keep the company current and to prevent being obsolete.

    Apple tends to do a good job at perfecting existing technology and ideas and make a gimmick toy to a successful product that is widely used. But they are not perfect. VR and AR has been problem markets. While cool not necessarily overall useful.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  5. Re:When history repeats itself... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    That is why they removed the headphone jack. That little extra space allows room for natural battery expansion and prevent explosions.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  6. Re:Amazing! by jcr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Apple doesn't enter a market unless they can bring a compelling competitive advantage with them, whether it's better UI, economy of scale, etc.

    If they offer an AR device, I expect we'll see all kinds of entertainment and productivity applications for it in very short order. The latter are the most interesting to me.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  7. Soon... by Hallux-F-Sinister · · Score: 4, Funny

    AppleAR, or, the iHeadset as everyone will call it, will perhaps be popular, but... before long they'll come out with a new version that won't have lenses. You'll have to buy iLenses separately, and the lenses will, for some reason, require charging, and the charger will be separate and require charging itself, and the charger for THAT will only work with a proprietary Apple connector...

    So glad I've decided to jump off the iApple iTrain now, and not be sucked into buying even more overpriced stuff I don't need.

    --
    Our reign has gone on long enough. Indeed. Summon the meteors.
    1. Re:Soon... by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      You'd be better off if you jumped in front of a real train instead of off a metaphorical one.

  8. Hard to see an inconvenient wearable succeeding by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

    You'd have to be really, really motivated. A watch, a walkman/iPod, fitness trackers to a degree... anything else? Plus most of those were not that inconvenient.

    1. Re:Hard to see an inconvenient wearable succeeding by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      I'm actually thinking of replacing my computer displays (work not gaming) with the Meta 2 AR headset. Saves a lot of desk real estate and it's 100% private. And really, really cool.

      Still, there remains a tiny bit of motion detection lag, so I'm not sold just yet.

  9. iEye by decipher_saint · · Score: 3, Funny

    iEye (Captain!)

    --
    crazy dynamite monkey
  10. just in time by bobmajdakjr · · Score: 1

    just in time for the election so cnn can replace all their touch sceens and kinects

  11. Re: Amazing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Just like we saw all kinds of applications for the stupid useless iwatch.

  12. A lot can happen in 2+ years. by bobm · · Score: 2

    Apple, who was also building a TV set and then they were going to build an electric car (but for some reason can't make Car Play work without being plugged in) is going to do AR. I'm pretty sure by 2020 something else will be out there to displace this.

    I've given up trying to care what Apple won't do. I used to get my hopes up for some cool tech but now it's just a waste of time to care.

    I can't even image what they are going to wreck on the next OS release.

  13. Reality distortion field by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If they had any sense of humor they would call it RDF, aka the Reality Distortion Field.

  14. Re:a little late to the party? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

    with vive being available right now it seems like available in 2 years is about 2 years too late.

    I guess you do what you have to do in order to stay relevant.

    on the upside, maybe it means that they will actually upgrade their desktop hardware in order to run their headset. custom chips are great but you still need raw horsepower to do all the calculations involved in display relative to position, especially when you use some sort of marking system to track headset orientation (vive uses stereoscopic cameras and IR leds on the headset)

    This is AR, not VR.

    Huge computational difference.

    Look what they are already able to do with iPhone hardware and ARKit. Not very far from this to full stereoscopic output.

    http://www.madewitharkit.com/

    -Doug

  15. I'm no Apple fanboy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm no Apple fanboy but I suspect they will ship something in 2020 where as Magic Leap will ship another confusing video of how awesome they are in 2020.

  16. Re:Augmented Reality by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

    That would require VR.