Apple working on two AR/VR headsets, but strategy has led to disagreements

Apple has been secretly working on AR and VR tech for several years and, although the company has already implemented some of its research into the iPhone and iPad, the end goal is to release products that are completely centered around the technologies.

Bloomberg has today detailed those internal plans and revealed some conflicts within the company that have forced Apple to change its course.

Apple AR & VR Headset – N301

The Silicon Valley-based company is reportedly working on two headsets at the moment. One of these products is codenamed ‘N301’ and incorporates both virtual reality and augmented reality capabilities.

Apple has been developing the headset in question for years via the Technology Development Group, which is a secretive team of 1,000 engineers devoted to VR and AR development.

But in late 2018 the company dramatically shifted its efforts following disagreements between former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and TDG lead Mike Rockwell regarding the direction of the project.

The ‘N301’ headset was initially meant to be an extremely powerful device capable of graphics and processing speeds like nothing ever seen before on a wearable product, according to sources speaking to Bloomberg.

However, the technology required and the heat it produced made it impossible to cram everything into a headset. A hub that allegedly resembled a small Mac was meant to connect to the headset via a wireless signal to enable everything.

There was also a so-called ‘Independent Mode’ that lowered the graphics and processing output while also removing the need for a connection with the hub. Jony Ive hated this idea, though, and reportedly encouraged the team to redevelop the system.