Apple AR/VR headset leak details its goggles-like design

Apple Reality Pro concept
(Image credit: ahmadcheni31)

You don't need to be following the Apple rumor mill too closely to know that the company is working on a mixed-reality headset, likely called Reality Pro. We've already been treated to leaks about the product, but we've now been shown the best yet.

While we're still waiting for a leak that actually shows the outside of a real headset, we did get to see some components recently. But the quality of the images wasn't great and now we've been treated to some high-resolution ones.

If this leak is real, it appears to confirm that the Reality Pro headset will look similar to a set of goggles or a traditional AR/VR headset. It also fits with renders we've seen, too.

Two eyes, two displays, two ribbon cables

The new images were shared by leaker Sonny Dickson and appear to show ribbon cables shaped in such a way that they will fit around people's eyes. It's likely that the cables are built to connect the two 4K displays to a board of some kind, likely the one that will provide them with imagery that will then form the basis of the AR and VR experience.

Apple is expected to ship the headset with Mac-like chips, suggesting that we can expect a high-fidelity experience. Multiple cameras will also be employed, but it's difficult to know how they will be incorporated into the headset without actually seeing it.

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As for when we'll see it, nobody really knows for sure. Some believe that it will debut at WWDC23 in June, but that's unlikely to be when it will go on sale for the rumored $3,000 asking price. Recent reports indicate the headset has been pushed back and that a WWDC unveiling is now less likely. 

That same event will see the unveiling of iOS 17, the software that will be installed on the new iPhone 15 lineup when it goes on sale this fall. It'll also power the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a device that will become the best iPhone yet thanks to rumored features that include a telephoto camera and, hopefully, an Action button.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.