Silicon Valley is in turmoil. On June 5, Apple invited virtual reality journalists to its developer conference. From there to imagine that the giant will reveal a new product, there is only one step.
Apple has not confirmed anything but leaks have multiplied for a few days in Silicon Valley on a possible presentation on June 5, at its Californian headquarters in Cupertino, of a virtual reality headset. The group invited to its WWDC, its developer conference, specialized journalists, which reinforces the rumor.
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It is said that this helmet, called, according to some information, the Reality Pro, will be expensive. Very expensive: $3,000. Ten times more than popular headsets on the market today. But The Guardian [article en anglais] recalls that 10 years ago, a very high price was announced for the first Ipad and that in the end, it did not rise as high.
Rumor has it that the Reality Pro looks like a pair of ski goggles and the battery will fit in your pocket to lighten the helmet, estimated at between 300 and 400 grams, without compromising on power. There would also be a screen on the outside to show the reaction of the user who will be able to connect and talk on Facetime with the headset. The image would have a 4K resolution. The sound would be compatible with the AirPods Pro, already produced by Apple. THE wall street journal [article en anglais et payant] understands that the capabilities of the Reality Pro, like its price, are well above the competition.
Not developed for the general public
Apple would enter this market because the company obviously believes in it. She would work on this product since 2016. American media speak of a billion dollars spent each year on research and development. Apple didn’t become a $2.5 trillion-plus company on Wall Street just with its computers. Music players, phones, tablets, watches, headphones… The Cupertino company also earns a lot of money with its App Store, its music services. She launched a streaming platform. The headset would be further diversification, and a new product, rather than showcasing iPhone number 58. But a former marketing executive for the company told Bloomberg that the Reality Pro could become one of the company’s biggest fiascos. history of technology. We will have to see who this headset is for because with this price, Apple is clearly not targeting the general public. The giant plans to sell 300,000 copies for its first year. To compare, Meta’s Quest 2 in 2021 was nine million copies sold.
What would the arrival of Apple mean for the competition? Apple has a reputation for excellence and usually doesn’t settle for crumbs. And besides, all is not perfect with virtual reality. It still puts off a lot of people. Maybe the apple brand will make the experience more enjoyable. For example, controllers are used in addition to the helmet. Is Apple going to develop a device that would make it possible to do without it by simply following the movement of the hands, for example? Will the group associate its other devices with the headset and create an ecosystem that would facilitate use? Samsung and Google would also prepare a helmet. A lot of things will also depend on software, in the same way that apps help make smartphones much more than phones. And the presence of Apple on the market will perhaps push developers to take an interest in it.