Apple has been exploring virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for more than 10 years based on patent filings, but with virtual and augmented reality exploding in popularity with the launch of ARKit, Apple's dabbling is growing more serious and could lead to an actual dedicated AR/VR product in the not too distant future.

Apple is rumored to have a secret research unit comprising hundreds of employees working on AR and VR, exploring ways the emerging technologies could be used in future Apple products. VR/AR hiring has ramped up and Apple has acquired multiple AR/VR companies as it furthers its work in the AR/VR space.

Apple is said to be working on multiple virtual and augmented reality headset prototypes as engineers search for the "most compelling application" for such a device, and current rumors indicate that Apple's first product will be an augmented reality headset and/or glasses.

According to The Information, Apple is working on two AR projects that include an augmented reality headset set to be released in 2022 followed by a sleeker pair of augmented reality glasses coming in 2023. Many rumors have focused solely on the glasses, however, leading to some confusion about Apple's plans.

AR Smart Glasses

Apple is working on a set of augmented reality glasses, which Leaker Jon Prosser has suggested Apple will call the smart glasses the "Apple Glass." That name would be an unusual choice given the similarity to the name of Google Glass, a product that existed long before Apple's work on AR glasses came to light.

The glasses are said to look similar to regular glasses, with both lenses to feature displays that can be interacted with using gestures. There will be an option to get the glasses with no prescription lenses at a possible starting price of $499, with prescription lenses available at an additional cost.

Well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the AR glasses to be marketed as an iPhone accessory and will primarily take a display role offloading computing, networking, and positioning to the iPhone. Offering the AR glasses as an iPhone accessory will allow Apple to keep them slim and lightweight. Prosser says that the glasses will look similar to Ray-Ban Wayfarers or the glasses that Tim Cook wears.

Bloomberg has said the Apple glasses will run "rOS" or reality operating system. rOS is said to be based on iOS, the operating system that runs on the iPhone. For the AR headset, Apple is developing a "system-on-a-package" chip similar to what's in the Apple Watch, though it will rely on the iPhone as mentioned above.

Over the course of developing an AR headset, Apple has considered touch panels, voice activation, and head gestures as input methods, and a range of applications from mapping to texting are being prototyped. Virtual meeting rooms and 360-degree video playback are also concepts that are being explored.

Thought there were initial rumors of a 2020 launch, Bloomberg believes an AR/VR headset could come as early as 2021. A report from DigiTimes suggests Apple's AR glasses will launch in 2021, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects a 2022 launch at the earliest.

Leaker Jon Prosser believes Apple will unveil its AR glasses in March or June of 2021, which could mean the glasses will be shown off in 2021 and then released later in 2022.

Prosser also says that Apple is working on a limited-edition "Steve Jobs Heritage" version of the smart glasses that are designed to look like the round, frameless glasses that Steve Jobs used to wear, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has called this rumor "complete fiction."

AR Headset

The Information and Bloomberg have both said that Apple is working on smart glasses AND an AR headset, with the headset to come out in 2021 followed by the glasses in 2022.

Details on Apple's work on an AR headset were allegedly shared by Apple in an internal employee meeting, where Apple execs are said to have highlighted features like 3D scanning and advanced human detection.

The headset is rumored to be similar to Facebook's Oculus Quest virtual reality headset, but with a sleeker design that uses fabrics and lightweight materials to ensure the headset is comfortable.

It's said to feature a high-resolution display and cameras that will let users "read small type" and "see other people standing in front of and behind virtual objects." The headset will be able to map surfaces, edges, and dimensions of rooms with "greater accuracy than existing devices on the market."

Apple wants to create an App Store for the headset, with a focus on gaming, streaming video content, and video conferencing. It will be controlled via Siri, though Apple is also testing a physical remote.

Apple and Foxconn are developing semitransparent lenses for an AR headset, and the lenses have moved from the prototyping stage to trial production, the final step before mass production. At the trial production stage, the design is typically locked down, which suggests the product is in the final stages of development.

A Powerful AR/VR Headset

Along with augmented reality smart glasses of some kind, rumors have suggested that Apple is working on an incredibly powerful AR/VR headset that's not quite like anything else on the market. It is said to feature an 8K display for each eye that would be untethered from either a computer or a smartphone, and it would work with both virtual and augmented reality applications.

Rather than relying on a connection to a smartphone or a computer, the headset would connect to a "dedicated box" using a high-speed short-range wireless technology called 60GHz WiGig. The box would be powered by a custom 5-nanometer Apple processor that's "more powerful than anything currently available." The box apparently resembles a PC tower, but it "won't be an actual Mac computer." To use the headset, users will not need to install special cameras in a room to detect their location as with some available VR headsets. All of the technology will be built into the headset and the box.

Internal disagreements have shaped and changed Apple's goals for its AR headset over time. Apple was initially aiming for an ultra-powerful system that came with a hub to house the processor, but Jony Ive, who has since departed the company, did not want to sell a device that would require a separate, stationary device for full functionality.

Ive instead wanted a headset with less powerful technology that could be embedded directly in the device, but the leader of the AR/VR team, Mike Rockwell, wanted the more powerful device. It was a standoff that lasted for months, and Tim Cook ultimately sided with Ive. For this reason, the ultra powerful headset described in some rumors may have been abandoned.

iOS 14 AR Leaks

Code and images found in iOS 14 confirm Apple's work on an AR or VR headset, with a photo discovered that depicts a generic-looking controller for a headset that's similar in design to the HTC Vive Focus headset. Apple has been using HTC Vive hardware for internal testing purposes.

Apple is testing its AR equipment with an iOS 14 app called Gobi along with QR codes to test augmented reality experiences. One of these augmented reality experiences is a crosswalk bowling game triggered at a specific crosswalk in Sunnyvale, California.

AR in Xcode

Code in the Xcode 11 confirms Apple's work on some kind of AR headset. There are references to codenamed test devices plus frameworks and a system shell related to these devices. The references suggest Apple is developing support for a face-mounted AR experience that's similar to Google's Daydream.

Valve Partnership?

According to Taiwanese site DigiTimes, Apple is partnering with game developer Valve for its rumored AR headset. Valve released its first VR headset, Valve Index, in April 2019.

Valve previously worked with Apple to bring native VR headset support to macOS High Sierra, leveraging the eGPU support with a Mac version of the SteamVR software.

Other Rumors

In November of 2017, Apple purchased Vrvana, a company that developed a mixed reality headset called Totem. Vrvana's technology could potentially be used in a future Apple headset. Apple followed its purchase of Vrvana with an acquisition of Akonia Holographics, a company that makes lenses for AR smart glasses.

Rumors have also suggested Apple could incorporate its augmented reality research into its ongoing car project as part of an in-car software system that could include a heads-up display or other features.