Apple CEO Tim Cook Hints at AR/VR Headset: ‘Stay Tuned and You’ll See What We Have to Offer’

CEO Tim Cook this week did an interview with China Daily, where he once again commented on on the future of augmented reality and hinted at Apple’s work on an AR/VR headset.

Cook said that Apple is excited about the opportunities available with augmented reality, which is not too far off from prior comments that he’s made, but he went on to say that people should “stay tuned” to see what Apple has to offer.

I am incredibly excited about AR as you might know, and the critical thing to any technology including AR is putting humanity at the center of it. And that is what we focus on every day. Right now, as an example, we have over 14,000 ARKit apps in the App Store, which provide AR experiences for millions of people around the world.

I think despite that, we’re still in the very early innings of how this technology will evolve. I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities we’ve seen in this space and sort of stay tuned and you’ll see what we have to offer.

Though Apple has not confirmed its work on an AR/VR wearable device, rumors have been circulating about it for years now. Apple’s headset is expected to offer mixed reality technology, with a curved visor and soft mesh that fits against the face. It will be lighter than other headsets on the market, and will use an Apple Watch-like strap to hold it in place.

The headset is rumored to feature two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, powerful processors equivalent to the M-series chips, eye tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, and spatial audio. When it launches, the headset could cost somewhere around $3,000.
Apple is expected to debut the headset as soon as next year, and has already been demoing it to board members, suggesting it is getting closer to being finished.