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The prospect of Apple launching an AR or VR device is looking increasingly likely. Despite the company regularly distancing themselves from both markets, the number of leaks coming out of Apple are becoming hard to ignore.
The latest indication that Apple is working on AR glasses has come from an injury incident report which was leaked to Gizmodo. Although nothing concrete is revealed, the report confirms that Apple is testing headsets designed to overlay 3D images into your eye.
The report read: ‘After BT4 user study, user advised study lead, that she experienced discomfort in her eye and said she was able to see the laser flash at several points during the study. Study lead referred her to optometrist and secured prototype unit for analysis.’
A similar report was submitted on March 2 detailing the same sort of injury in relation to a ‘new prototype’. It said: ‘Employee reported eye pain after working with new prototype, thought it may be associated with use. He noticed that the security seal on the magenta (outer) case had been broken and had thought the unit may have been tampered with.’
Apple has never shown a real interest in VR. In fact, it has almost gone so far as to dismiss it entirely. Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he believes there is more interest in augmented reality than VR – a feature expected to be implemented with the launch of Apple’s 10-year anniversary iPhone later this year, with facial recognition capabilities in a rumoured iPhone 8.
However, rumours surrounding the upcoming iMac has sparked claims that Apple is eyeing up a move into the VR market. The latest speculation is that the 2017 iMac will feature AMD graphics, Intel Xeon E3-1285 v6 processors and 16GB-64GB of RAM. Thrown into the mix is support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connection along with a 2TB SSD have also been mooted. But what is getting everyone hot under the collar is reports that the new iMac’s AMD graphics will be able to support VR and Pro apps. Putting two and two together and coming up with five (or maybe not), a lot of people are suggesting that this will pave the way for Apple to join the virtual reality race.
