Kuo: Apple will release standalone VR headset with micro OLED screens next year

By admin On Mar 8, 2021

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According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will release a VR headset in 2022 that is equipped with micro-OLED screens and works as a standalone. The price would be comparable to that of a high-end iPhone. Kuo expects AR glasses from Apple in 2025 at the earliest.

Prototypes of Apple’s VR headset have a weight of 200 to 300 grams, Kuo writes in a report that 9to5Mac quotes. Apple’s goal would be to bring that down to a weight of between 100 and 200 grams, if “technical problems” can be solved. The headset will have its own processor and storage, so it must be usable as a standalone, just like an Oculus Quest. A weight of less than 200 grams for such glasses would be very low. The current Oculus Quest 2 weighs over 500 grams.

According to Kuo, the headset uses Sony micro-OLED screens. An earlier rumor from The Information spoke of the presence of two screens, each with an 8k resolution. The resolution would therefore be much higher than with existing VR headsets, which can eliminate the screen door effect. The source material shown does not have to have an 8k resolution. Earlier this month there was also a rumor about the development of micro-OLED screens by Apple and TSMC.

Kuo claims the VR headset will be about as expensive as a high-end iPhone. That points to a price of about 1200 euros. Earlier rumors from The Information talked about a price of 3000 dollars.

Mock-up previously shown that The Information had made based on anonymous sources who have seen the device.

In his report, Kuo talks about a headset for AR and VR, but from the description and previous rumors it can be concluded that it is a VR headset, which can also be used for AR display. Then the image of the environment is shown via cameras in the headset. So it is not about AR glasses with a transparent screen.

Apple is rumored to be working on such AR glasses, but according to Kuo, they will not appear until 2025 at the earliest. Apple should still start making a prototype. According to the analyst, it is not yet certain how these glasses will work as a standalone. A pairing with, for example, an iPhone may be required. According to Kuo, Apple also has AR contact lenses on its roadmap for 2030, but nothing is known about that yet.