In late January, Apple announced the departure of Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware, from his post and that Dan will lead a project that cannot yet be discussed. The secret remained secret for two weeks. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, citing a source at Apple, disclosed it, telling that Dan Riccio was headed and about this project itself. This is not just another Apple project, and it is another platform that can surpass the iPhone, iPad and Mac combined in value and profit. Or “not take off” and not surpass. So far, this is a direction in which no one in the world has yet achieved serious success.
The project already exists. This virtual reality headset is “something like Oculus Quest 2” (64GB variant costs $ 299, 256GB variant – 399), advanced and for $ 3,000 is just the first step. This project’s primary goal is to shock the world, show the boss in virtual and augmented reality, and what these realities eat with. You don’t need to be a salesperson to understand: it will be a miracle if this device pays off, at least half or a third.
The goal justifies the money invested in it. We will not know what and how Dan talked about this project, and about the prospects of the whole direction. Obviously, it was something out of the ordinary. And where does Dan, who headed this direction only two weeks ago, at the end of January 2021? To this question, I’ll answer – let’s start with a few previously unknown details about Apple’s first VR headset.
VR headset from Apple
Something about this was known before the revelations of the source from Apple. Most likely, from the same unit dealing with these realities (virtual and augmented) since 2016. A compact system-in-a-case, just like the Apple Watch, only with a CPU, GPU, and neural processor that surpasses those used in the most powerful Macs, compact 8K displays – there are two in the headset.
IOS-based operating system (ROS). These are only rumours so far, but a source from Apple has confirmed and expanded on them. 12 or even more cameras will monitor the surrounding world and the user’s hand movements, and gestures are among the device’s user interfaces. Another interface will be a thimble-shaped device that you put on your finger. According to a Bloomberg source, the thimble will be used to control the headset’s software.
Apple’s VR headset is more of mixed reality (MR) headset. These days, VR headsets isolate the user from the outside world, and the Apple headset will display that as well. Only the image in the screens that the user’s gaze is directed at will be displayed at the maximum resolution. Everything else, including the situation in the real world, will be displayed at a lower resolution.
By the way, 8K displays will use microLED technology (do not confuse with miniLED: microLED is much cooler). Everything related to the development of promising displays has been transferred under John Sruji since January 25 of this year. Now he oversees three areas: chips (for mobile devices, computers, etc.), mobile modems, and now displays (miniLED and microLED). Not far from Apple Park, the construction of another experimental “display plant” is nearing completion. In fact, this is a complete secret even from the company’s employees who have nothing to do with miniLED and microLED. Apple already has one such plant.
Who spearheaded Apple’s VR project?
The direction of AR / VR (augmented and virtual reality) has been led by Mike Rockwell since 2016. Apple had been dealing with this direction before, but things did not go well until Mike came. He is doing great and remains the technical lead of the company’s AR / VR projects. Until January 25, Mike was subordinate to Dan Riccio, who, in addition to AR and VR projects, was responsible for other areas – Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods of all their types and varieties, and much more. And for the hypothetical symbiosis of a laptop with a tablet, too.
But among those projects was “the next big thing” (no less important than the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch / Apple Silicon / AirPods). So far, no one has really succeeded in this area. Because no one has figured out what to do with all these realities – and Dan seems to have figured out. And he took up this direction, giving all the rest to the former vice president. Mike Rockwell continues to report to Dan Riccio.