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The year is 2022, 'pricey' Apple Glasses may take Sony and Facebook's headsets head-on

Updated: Feb 22, 2022, 4:01 AM

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The year is 2022, 'pricey' Apple Glasses may clash head-on with Sony and Facebook VR headsets

image: Apple Glasses concept by Martin Hajek

When two of the most reputed Apple analysts talk about its future Glass AR headset plans, we ought to listen, and they both released a treasure trove of information about the upcoming virtual reality wearable with a fruit logo over the weekend.

Apple Glasses price and release date

First off, it appears that the tentatively named Apple Glasses mixed reality headset will be released as soon as next year, and go straight against Facebook (aka Meta)'s own such gear that is supposed to see the light of day in 2022.

The Apple headset will also be "pricey," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest PowerOn Apple-themed newsletter edition:

Meta isn’t saying when it will go on sale other than sometime in 2022, but this device is going straight after Apple’s first mixed reality headset. Apple is planning to unleash its own pricey device with advanced chips, displays, sensors and avatar-based features as early as next year.

Apple Glasses specs and features

That much we've heard already, with Apple Glasses price rumored to be around $3000 for a set of two 8K resolution displays and the necessary Apple Silicon chips needed to process all the visual information in a standalone manner that doesn't need to be hooked up to a computer.

Meanwhile, industry insiders out of Korea tip for The Elec that LG Innotek "is also supplying the 3D time of flight module that Apple plans to use for their virtual reality headset."

According to another storied Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple Glasses headset specs will include Wi-Fi 6E connectivity in order to provide the huge bandwidth needed to stream all these bits and bytes it will be generating.

That's also not hard to believe, given that there already exists virtual reality gear with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity out there, in the form of Facebook's Oculus Quest, which allows it to stream at up to 120Hz refresh rates.

While Mark Gurman tipped only one Apple Glasses competitor arriving in 2022, Mr Kuo also adds Sony to the mix, saying that all three companies - Apple, Meta, and Sony - will have high-end mixed reality headgear with Wi-Fi 6/6E chips inside.

Whether or not Sony's AR/VR headset will be part of the PlayStation 5 paraphernalia, remains to be seen, but we are more curious what Apple will pull off, as it has been investing heavily in mixed reality research for years now.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.