Tuesday, April 18, 2023 3:17 pm1 Comment

• News

Apple is building a slewe of software and services for its upcoming mixed-reality (AR/VR) headset, seeking to attract consumers with apps that take advantage of the device’s high tech capabilities and novel 3D interface.

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:

The offerings will include gaming, fitness and collaboration tools, new versions of Apple’s existing iPad features, and services for watching sports, according to people with knowledge of the plans. The roughly $3,000 headset is set to debut at an event in June, with the product going on sale months later.

A big part of the effort is adapting iPad apps for the new headset, which blends virtual and augmented reality. Users will be able to access millions of existing apps from third-party developers via the new 3D interface, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are still under wraps.

The push will include optimized versions of the Safari web browser and Apple’s services for calendars, contacts, files, home control, mail, maps, messaging, notes, photos and reminders, as well as its music, news, stocks and weather apps. There also will be a version of the FaceTime conferencing service and Apple’s TV app.

Besides the core apps, the company is working on a version of Apple Books for the headset that will allow users to read in virtual reality. The company is also testing a camera app that can take pictures from the headset. On the wellness front, an app will help wearers meditate with a series of calming graphics, sounds and voice-overs.

In what is likely to be another highlight of the device, Apple is also working on a version of its Fitness+ service for the headset, which will let users exercise while watching an instructor in VR.

And Apple is developing a version of its Freeform collaboration app for the headset, an effort that it sees as a major selling point for the product. The service, launched on the company’s other devices last year, will let users work on virtual whiteboards together while in mixed reality.

MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s first mixed-reality device, likely to be dubbed the “Reality Pro,” is expected to launch this year with an impressive array of new technology, including custom Apple Silicon, dual 4K displays, a flexible OLED screen on the front that shows the user’s eyes, and more than a dozen cameras that can analyze the wearer’s eye and other body movements along with the external environment.

Apple is reportedly focusing on immersive, interactive video content such as concerts and sports, tight integration with other Apple products (see: Apple headsets aim to seamlessly interact with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac), and advanced VR-based FaceTime calls.

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