Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is planning a virtual reality headset that could lead to the sale of augmented reality glasses, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
What happened: The headset with the working name N301 is still in a prototype stage, while the glasses dubbed N421 are in an early stage known as “architecture”.
The company led by Tim Cook plans to launch the VR headset as early as 2022 and will face it face to face Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) Oculus, Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation VR and others, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The glasses, on the other hand, are still several years away, although a launch in 2023 was planned earlier, Bloomberg sources said.
The VR device is considered expensive and would cost more than rival products. Apple may limit sales to one headset per store, which according to Bloomberg’s calculations – with almost 500 stores – would limit annual sales to just over 180,000 units.
Why it matters: The Cupertino, Calif.-Based company is planning to include its most powerful processors in the headset and the tested chips outperform its silicon M1 Mac, Bloomberg noted.
See too: What to know about Spaces and Apple’s continuing AR / VR momentum
The iPhone maker reportedly developed an approach that would allow people with impaired vision to insert personalized prescription lenses into the VR device.
In May, Apple acquired NextVR – a virtual reality startup that provides content for AR and VR headsets, including those made by its rivals.
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG), a Google subsidiary, sells a business edition of its AR product, Glass, which it says is intended for “hands-free work” The company closed sales of the beta version to consumers in 2015 .
Related link: Oculus’ decision to make Facebook accounts mandatory for users of its virtual reality headsets sparks outrage on social media
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.