Apple No Longer Needs IPhones On AR/VR Headsets For Configurations

Apple's Headset Reality Pro Concept (photo: dock. Antonio De Rosa)

JAKARTA - To create the first version of the Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, Apple is reportedly doing everything possible, including making the device not dependent on the iPhone.

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported that Apple's AR/VR headset dubbed Reality Pro does not require an iPhone for settings or use.

In his weekly Power On bulletin, he stated it was quite factual. This is because the latest testing version of the device all features an onboard operating system called xrOS.

The system can reportedly handle initial configurations on its own, where user content and data can be downloaded directly from iCloud and other Apple services.

However, that doesn't mean users won't be able to integrate the iPhone into a headset. Gurman said users can still transfer data from iPhone or iPad, as they usually do when setting up new devices.

Unlike other AR/VR headsets on the market, the Reality Pro headset will not have remote control and will instead rely on the user's eyes and hands to control everything.

Gurman also revealed that air typing would be a major feature in testing, but Apple had a lot of problems with this.

"So if you get the first headset, you might still want to pair your iPhone to use the touch screen keyboard," Gurman explained, as quoted from 9to5Mac, Tuesday, February 28.

"The hope inside Apple is to make a quick repair after the device is released. The company expects its headset to follow the same path as the original Apple Watch in that regard," he added.

Looking further ahead, Gurman also explained that currently Apple is working on a second-generation Reality Pro headset with a special focus on performance.

"I was told that the focus of the second Pro headset is performance. Although the first model will have an M2 chip plus a secondary chip for AR and VR processing is not strong enough to feature the graph at the level Apple wants," Gurman said.

"Apple's first HEADset was originally planned to be more powerful, featuring separate hubs with additional processing power that can be radiated to devices across the home wirelessly," he added.

However, Gurman insists former Apple design chief Jony Ive canceled the idea. Now the company is working to add a more powerful processor maybe a variant of the M3 or M4 for the second model, helping bridge the gap.

For information, Apple is expected to announce the Reality Pro headset this year. Strong rumors say it will take place at WWDC 2023 in June.