QPORIT

Reporting yesterday from Bloomberg suggests that 

a>> Apple's plan was to release or announce a high Head Mounted Display (HMD) capable of both VR AND MR at a June Apple World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) in June, but 

(b>> overheating, software, and camera issues may delay the glasses until 2023. 

Short analysis: Maybe. Maybe not. 

LINK: 

BLOOMBERG, VIA GAGADGET, ON APPLE xR

https://gagadget.com/en/101228-bloomberg-apple-arvr-headset-could-be-delayed-until-2023-due-to-overheating-camera-and-software-issues-amp 

Longer notes and analysis:

"Camera problems" suggests the glasses use passthrough for MR; and 

"Software problems" could mean that Apple is running into the same problems that other MR developers have had from the start: It is really hard to create a good MESH that integrates the captured world with complex computer generated (CG) content. And... Apple is handicapped by their secrecy, and by not having glasses for MR available in public to work with in development.

Microsoft, getting a first start with the Hololens, is probably the best positioned to produce full-functioning, consumer and professional MR. 

Google had some projects (remember Tango?), but has taken time off. With a new, recent reorganization they may be starting again. 

Magic Leap, based on some things I’ve heard people there say, may have underestimated the difficulty in creating the kind of tight interplay between the real world and the CG world that founder Rony Ablovitz hoped for and talked so eloquently about. 

Snap is starting from simple “filters” and working to develop slowly. 

META Platforms is currently the most aggressive player attacking the issues of MR. They have glasses (QUEST 2) in general release, with some limited passthrough available for developing MR software. They have more advanced hardware in development, and they are spending billions of dollars for development: They have internal teams; they are hiring; they are doing acquisitions; they are probably doing partnerships.

Chinese companies are also working hard on XR (and MR in particular), as are companies in Europe and elsewhere around the globe.

Postscript note: One of the big unknowns about Apple's XR development we hope to learn, will be whether they support OpenXR at all, and fully support webXR in Safari. Or, if they plan to create another completely isolated Silo.

Labels: Apple, AR, HMD, Silo, VR, WWDC, XR

# posted by QPORIT @ 5:19 PM