Apple is planned to unveil its first AR/VR headset at WWDC23 next week. The head-mounted display, which is dubbed as the Reality Pro, is expected to cost a whopping north of $3000. There might now be answers as to why the headset could be priced this high based on the leaked display specs.
According to display consultant Ross Young who goes by the name @DSCCRoss on Twitter and a frequent source for iPhone news, the upcoming mixed reality headset from Apple is sporting high-end micro OLED displays. He added that the panel is said to diagonally span at 1.41-inch wide per side and has a 4000 pixel-per-inch resolution with 5000 nits brightness.
HDR on Apple Reality Pro
The analyst could mean that the nits value given is the peak brightness, which is so much higher compared to the existing virtual headsets such as the ultra-premium Microsoft Hololens 2 at 500 nits or the budget Meta Quest 2 at 100 nits. He also mentioned that the actual resolution per eye is about 4K or twice compared to the HTC Vive XR Elite that NextPit team had hands-on and more than double over the Meta Quest Pro (review), although both have LCD screens.
More importantly, Young notes that such display specifications would allow the Apple Reality Pro headset to offer HDR content without relying on external hardware upscaling. Meaning, the device could automatically transform content into with higher contrast and more vivid colors, resulting in more immersive output similar to the Starburst prototype shown by Meta last year.
In addition to the display, Apple’s first xrOS-based wearable was reported to feature a wide array of sensors and cameras to enable advanced eye and hand tracking that is notably missing in most AR/VR glasses. It is believed that the headset has an external battery pack, which would be placed in a user’s pocket rather than having it built in the strap. Furthermore, the Apple M2 chipset could also power the Reality Pro.
Would you think that the first Apple AR/VR headset with its premium specs will be successful in bringing a wow factor similar to the original iPhone? We’re eager to hear your thoughts on this.
