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Apple's VR headset may not require an iPhone connection, after all

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By Doroteya Borisova

Updated: Dec 03, 2021, 8:02 AM

Apple's VR headset may not require an iPhone connection, after all

Last time we we were writing about Apple's work on its anticipated upcoming mixed reality headset, reports were saying that most of the VR device's computing would be performed by an iPhone, which needs to be paired to the headset.

However, Ming Chi Kuo has spoken up this week, bringing completely new information to the table. The headset will not actually require an external connection to an iPhone to work, after all, Kuo reported. Instead, the headset will be a fully self-contained, independent device.

Its heavy graphics computing processes will be taken of internally by two separate processors, claims Kuo. The main processor will be a serious powerhouse, bearing the same processing power as the M1 chip—for the record, the low-power M1 is a favorite with recent Macs and iPads, featuring a record-high 16 billion transistors, and bringing to the table unrivaled performance per Watt.

This processor will take care of the bulk of the graphics processing, while an additional, secondary processor will handle the data from all the headset's sensors. The VR device will require more sensor-related computing power than an iPhone could handle, Kuo says, which is why Apple has settled on this decision.

And while it's technically a "mixed reality" headset, Kuo says that it will be able to deliver complete virtual reality experiences just as well as augmented reality. According to the world-renowned Apple analyst, Apple is working to make sure that a "comprehensive range of applications" will be supported by the headset at its time of release.

As we knew previously, Apple's mixed reality headset is still supposed to arrive in late 2022, along with a price tag which Kuo estimates to be around $3000. Interestingly, Kuo believes that Apple's end goal is to turn the mixed reality headset so mainstream, that it replaces the iPhone within the next ten years.

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