We've been tracking Apple AR/VR headset rumours for months now, including recent reports that it'll be smarter and lighter than the Meta Quest Pro. But according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one thing it won't be is cheaper. The Apple AR/VR headset, which may be called Reality Pro or Reality One, will cost more than a Mac.
There's a reason for that. It's packed with seriously expensive tech, making it more powerful than many Macs too.
Apple AR/VR headset: what it'll cost and why
According to Gurman and many other reports, the first Apple AR/VR headset will be considerably more premium than the one most of us will end up buying. The price is going to be somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000, and likely to be slightly more in other territories because of the strong dollar.
But while there's the usual hefty Apple profit margin here, the spec is still impressive. The headset will have a Mac-equivalent M2 chip, just like the current MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro, and Gurman says it'll sport more than 10 cameras inside and outside plus "the highest resolution displays ever featured in a mass-market headset".
Gurman adds that the Reality OS will include fancy versions of apps such as Messages, FaceTime and Maps, and the first version of the OS is now almost complete. Apple is also working on a 3D video service, and may even be working on a VR world that's in the same vein as Meta's Horizon Worlds but not rubbish. Apparently "metaverse' is a word Apple's marketing people will never use.
I'm still excited about Apple's headset, but I'm also resigned to the fact that I won't own one: I've already got two VR headsets gathering dust in my flat and they cost considerably less than Apple's one. This is one for the developers and early adopters; the real killer headset is likely to be the more affordable second one, by which time there will be much more AR/VR content available too.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Google Pixel phones just got another major free upgrade to make life easier
Google's December 'Pixel Drop' brings enhanced Gemini features and more
By Mike Lowe Published
-
This Xiaomi smart coffee machine brews coffee and froths milk simultaneously – but there’s a catch
Xiaomi claims to have made the world’s smartest coffee maker
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Apple Intelligence's new features are imminent and actually really useful
Hey Siri, write a news story for T3 about Apple Intelligence... erm
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
I use Apple's best AirPods daily – and the price just dropped in 5-star deal
With nearly $100 off, this AirPods Pro 2 Black Friday deal is too good to miss
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
The iPad just dropped to its lowest-ever price – this is a 5-star Apple deal
You can get your hands on Apple's entry-level tablet for just over $250
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple should make a Fire TV Stick rival not its own TV, says expert
And we agree...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Smarter Siri still planned for iPhone, but there's a catch
There's a brand new Siri coming to your iPhone, but you're going to have to wait a while longer
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
iPhone 17 Slim tipped to be the thinnest iPhone Apple’s ever made
Could make the iPhone 16 look massive
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
An Apple flatscreen TV could be back on the cards again
It might take a while though...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple AirTag 2 upgrade will bring better range, improved privacy, and a stalker-proof speaker, says insider
Apple's useful little thing-finders are reportedly getting a big refresh in 2025
By Carrie Marshall Published