Apple is preparing to unveil its most ambitious new hardware products in years, during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference event, which will be held starting today, Monday, and will continue for several days.
Apple is widely expected to introduce a “mixed reality” headset that offers both virtual and augmented reality, a technology that overlaps virtual images during a live broadcast with real-world video.
The upcoming release of AR/VR headsets will be Apple’s biggest hardware product launch since the Apple Watch debuted in 2015. It could signal a new era for the company and potentially revolutionize how millions of people interact with computers and the world around them, according to the report. As reported by “CNN”, and viewed by “Al Arabiya.net”.
But the headset is just one of the many announcements expected at the developer event. Apple will also be showcasing a long list of software updates that will shape how people use its most popular devices, including iPhones and Apple Watches.
It may also tease Apple how it plans to incorporate artificial intelligence into more of its products and services, keeping pace with the renewed arms race over technology in Silicon Valley.
Here’s a closer look at what to expect:
Mixed reality headset
For years, Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed interest in augmented reality. Now it looks like Apple is finally ready to show off what it’s been working on.
The new headset, which could be called “Reality One” or “Reality Pro,” will feature an iOS-like interface, display immersive videos and include cameras and sensors to allow users to control it via hand and eye movements and by speaking to Siri. Siri”. The device is also rumored to have an outward-facing screen that shows eye movements and facial expressions, allowing viewers to interact with the person wearing the headset without feeling like they’re talking to a robot, according to Bloomberg.
Apple’s new headset is expected to pack gaming, fitness and meditation apps, and provide access to iOS apps like Messages, FaceTime and Safari, according to Bloomberg. With the FaceTime option, for example, the headset will display “the user’s entire face and body in virtual reality,” to create the feeling that they are both “in the same room.”
During the event, Apple seeks to encourage developers to create applications and experiences for the product in order to make it more persuasive to customers and worth its high price.
Apple is considering offering the device at $3,000, much more than most of its products, and is testing potential buyers at a time of persistent uncertainty in the global economy. It comes as other tech companies have struggled to find major traction for headphones. And in the years when Apple was rumored to be working on the product, the tech community has shifted its focus from virtual reality to another buzzy technology: artificial intelligence.
But if any company can prove the skeptics wrong, it’s Apple. The company’s entry into the market along with its vast customer base has the potential to breathe new life into the world of headphones.
New Macbooks
The mixed reality headset won’t be the only piece of hardware on display at this year’s event.
Apple is expected to launch the new 15-inch MacBook Air that contains the company’s M2 processor. The current size of the MacBook Air is 13 inches.
Previously, users who wanted a bigger laptop from Apple needed to purchase the MacBook Pro, which is the most expensive version.
New features for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Given that WWDC is traditionally a software event, Apple executives will likely spend a lot of time highlighting changes and upcoming upgrades for the next-generation mobile operating systems, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.
While last year’s updates included a major design overhaul of the lock screen and iMessage, only minor changes are expected this year.
With iOS 17, Apple is expected to double down on its health tracking efforts by adding the ability to monitor everything from a user’s mood to monitoring how their vision changes over time. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple will also launch a journaling app not only as a way for users to record their thoughts but also activity levels, which can then be analyzed to reveal how much time someone spends at home or away from home.
The new iOS 17 is also said to be getting an update for the lock screen: When placed in landscape mode, the screen will highlight widgets associated with the calendar, weather, and other apps, and act as a digital hub. iPadOS 17 is also expected to have the same lock screen capabilities and health features.
Other expected upgrades include an update to the Apple Watch operating system that will focus on quick glances on widgets, and more details on the next-generation CarPlay system, which it initially showed off last year.
Flexing the muscles of the artificial intelligence
While much of the event’s focus may be on virtual reality, Apple may also be trying to show how it can keep up with Silicon Valley’s current obsession with artificial intelligence.
Apple is said to be planning to preview an AI-powered digital coaching service that will encourage people to exercise and improve their sleeping and eating habits. It’s not clear how it might work, but the effort comes at a time when big tech companies are racing to introduce AI-powered technologies in the wake of ChatGPT’s viral success.
Apple may also show off some of its recently introduced accessibility tools for iPhones and iPads, including a feature that promises to repeat the user’s voice for phone calls after just 15 minutes of training.
Most other big tech companies have recently defined their AI strategies. This event may be an opportunity for Apple to do the same.
