It has been reported that the rumored Apple genuine VR headset may be released as early as early 2022 (first quarter) with a LiDAR scanner.
This is reported by Taiwan Media China Times as an analysis by US JP Morgan Securities analysts. According to it, “The industrial design of Apple headsets will be similar to VR headsets of other brands.”
Functionally, it is equipped with 6 lenses and a LiDAR scanner (the 3D sensor used in the iPhone 12 Pro model), which is said to lead to user position detection and improved user experience in VR / AR.
It is also predicted that most of the headset parts will be made in Taiwan. The names of major iPhone-related suppliers are listed, including TSMC for processor manufacturing, Largan and Genius Electron Optics (GSEO) for camera lenses, and Pegatron for assembly.
In particular, TSMC was mentioned in the Bloomberg report the other day, and it was reported that some of the chips tested in the prototype exceeded the M1 processor for Mac.
JP Morgan expects Apple VR headsets to be at the top of the consumer market and will be “more expensive than VR headsets on the market today.” Specifically, the cost of parts (BOM) alone could exceed $ 500.
Certainly, it seems to be higher than the Oculus Quest series (the Japanese price is 50,000 yen or less even for the 256GB model with a large storage capacity). On the other hand, it may be more modest than what Bloomberg calls the “Mac Pro-like high price range”.
Apart from China Times, DigiTimes, an industry magazine that is also familiar with Taiwan’s supply chain information, reports that Pegatron and Quanta are competing for orders for final product assembly for “Apple’s AR eyeglass products.”
It is rumored that Apple is developing two types of AR / VR products, a headset type and a lightweight glasses type, and DigiTimes reports may have confused the two products.
In any case, it seems that the prospect that “Apple genuine AR / VR device” is steadily being developed and mass-produced for commercialization is increasing. However, there is an example of the wireless charging mat AirPower, which was officially announced but was discontinued, so I’d like to wait for a follow-up report.