MacRumors

Popular virtual reality rhythm game Beat Saber could be one title that Apple is planning to promote for its upcoming AR/VR headset, according to a tweet shared by Beat Games co-founder Jaroslav Beck.

Beck today shared a tweet about June 5th, saying that the date would be "🍿🕶️," which seems to hint that a version of Beat Saber for the Apple AR/VR headset could perhaps be part of Apple's presentation. Beat Saber for Apple's platform is just speculation at this point, but Beck does not regularly tweet about Apple, and would seemingly have no reason to comment on the event.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is already working with select game developers to help them update existing content for mixed reality, and Beat Games could be one of the companies that Apple is working with. Beat Saber is one of the most well-known virtual reality games.

Players are tasked with using arm gestures to slash beats timed to music in a futuristic virtual environment. As the game involves both dancing and movement, it has been used as an exercise tool. Apple plans to promote the headset as a fitness device in addition to a gaming and media consumption device.

Earlier this week, the founder of the company behind survival game "No Man's Sky" tweeted an Apple emoji, which also led to speculation that No Man's Sky will have an announcement for Apple's platforms at WWDC. No Man's Sky is available for several VR platforms, such as the PlayStation VR.

Apple has been hinting at the headset this week, teasing the dawn of a "new era" on Twitter and "coding new worlds" on its developer site. Multiple rumors indicate that Apple is ready to show off the AR/VR headset and the xrOS software that will run on it, and while it won't launch until later this year, announcing in June will give developers time to create virtual reality experiences for the device.

Popular Reddit app Apollo might not be able to operate as is in the future due to planned API pricing that Reddit is implementing.

Apollo developer Christian Selig was today told that Reddit plans to charge $12,000 for 50 million API requests. Last month, Apollo made seven billion requests, which would mean Selig would need to pay $1.7 million per month or $20 million per year to Reddit to keep the app running.

The average Apollo user uses 344 requests per day, which would be priced at $2.50 per month, more than double the current subscription cost, or a sum that Selig is not able to afford. Right now, Apollo Pro is a one-time $4.99 fee that unlocks additional features, and Apollo Ultra is an even more premium tier that costs $12.99 per year.

Selig says that he is "deeply disappointed" in Reddit's planned pricing, as the company promised that it would not "operate like Twitter" and charge developers an unreasonable fee. Twitter, for comparison, charges $42,000 for 50 million tweets. While Reddit is charging less at $12,000 for 50 million requests, it is still too high of a cost for an independent developer.

According to Selig, he pays image storage site and social network Imgur $166 per month for 50 million API calls, and that is closer to what he expected Reddit to charge. Selig says that while Reddit has been "communicative and civil" over half a dozen phone calls, the pricing is not "anything based in reality or remotely reasonable." Reddit has claimed that the pricing is not flexible, and this is the price that developers will be charged.

Apollo is the most popular third-party Reddit app, primarily because of the work that Selig has put into it. He regularly adds new features and updates, and interfaces with users to get feedback on new functionality.

Reddit maintains its own app, but it does not have the same feature options as Apollo. Charging developers an exorbitant price could force third-party apps to cease to exist, pushing users to the official app that Reddit has more control over.

News that Reddit would begin charging for API access came in April following Twitter's decision to eliminate third-party apps. Reddit use is free for bots and researchers who take advantage of the site for academic purposes, but apps like Apollo will need to pay in the future. When speaking to The New York Times in April, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said "It's a good time for us to tighten things up," adding that he felt it was "fair."

Apollo users are understandably upset about the change, with numerous complaints on Reddit and other social networks like Twitter. It is not clear what will happen with Apollo when Reddit begins charging for API access. At the very least, Selig will need to significantly increase subscription prices, and the app will likely no longer be able to support free users.

Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS Ventura 13.5 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta introduced two weeks after the release of the first beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

No notable features were found in the first beta of macOS 13.5, so it's not yet clear what's included in the update. iOS 16.6 lays the groundwork for iMessage Contact Key Verification, so if that feature ultimately launches in the iOS 16.6 update, iMessage Contact Key Verification will also be included in macOS Ventura 13.5 as it is a cross-platform setting.

With macOS 14 set to be unveiled at WWDC on June 5, Apple's work on macOS 13 will soon be wrapping up. macOS is likely to be one of the final updates to macOS Ventura.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the release of the first betas.

Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the “Beta Updates” option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 lay the groundwork for iMessage Contact Key Verification. It is meant to let Apple device owners verify that they are messaging with the people they intend to message rather than a malicious entity that has intercepted a message or is eavesdropping on a conversation.

The feature is designed for Apple users who are facing “extraordinary digital threats.” Apple intends for iMessage Contact Key Verification to be used by journalists, human rights activists, government officials, and others who are in danger of malicious digital attacks from state-sponsored attackers or other malicious actors.

Apple said that iMessage Contact Key Verification would be available on the iPhone and other Apple devices at some point in 2023, and it is one of the last features we are expecting to see in iOS 16. In the first beta, hints of iMessage Contact Key were available, but the option was not fully enabled.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming two weeks after the release of the first beta.

To install the watchOS 9.6 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.6 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ it is paired with.

It is not yet known if there are new features in the watchOS 9.6 update, but we did not find anything in the first beta. This is expected to be one of the final updates to the watchOS 9 operating system as Apple will soon shift its work to watchOS 10, the next-generation version of watchOS.

The App Store was responsible for an estimated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022, according to an Apple-sponsored study conducted by economists from Analysis Group. Apple shared the results of the study today as part of an ongoing effort to highlight the benefits of the ‌App Store‌ and the successes of developers who use the Apple platform.

A total of $910 billion of the $1.1 trillion estimate comes from the sales of physical goods and services that happened outside of the ‌App Store‌, while $109 billion was from in-app advertising, and $104 billion was from digital goods and services. The estimate includes sales from businesses of all sizes, large and small, and for the physical goods and services, Apple did not collect commission.

Apple charges a 15 to 30 percent fee for app purchases, in-app purchases, and in-app subscriptions through the ‌App Store‌, but it does not collect a fee when customers do things like purchase groceries online or pay for an Uber ride using an Apple device. Note that in the study terms, "billings" is a reference to app purchases, in-app purchases, and subscriptions, while "sales" pertains to goods and services.

"We've never been more hopeful about -- or more inspired by -- the incredible community of developers around the world," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "As this report shows, the App Store is a vibrant, innovative marketplace where opportunity thrives, and we're as committed as ever to investing in developers' success and the app economy's future."

There was a 29 percent increase in developer billings and sales year over year, with the travel and ride hailing services seeing the most notable growth. The ‌App Store‌ has seen steady growth over the last several years, going from $643 billion in 2020 to $868 billion in 2021, before crossing a trillion in 2022.

Analysis Group points out that direct app monetization is a "small fraction" of the commerce facilitated by the ‌App Store‌, with developers able to monetize through ad-supported content, goods and services sold outside of the ‌App Store‌, and physical goods and services.

The study suggests that beyond in-app purchases and subscriptions, the ‌App Store‌ provides a "trusted platform" for businesses to sell their products, and it points out the many policies that Apple has implemented to "foster user trust" and prevent fraudulent transactions.

In the 15 years since the ‌App Store‌ launched, developers have earned a total of $320 billion directly from the ‌App Store‌. There are 123 times more apps available now compared to the end of 2008, with more than 370 billion app downloads since launch. Games make up the largest number of apps, followed by business and education apps.

This is the second study from Analysis Group that Apple has shared this month, with the prior study focusing on the App Store successes of small businesses. Today's study offers a wider look at the total ‌App Store‌ ecosystem. Analysis Group has been providing similar reports for Apple since 2020 as Apple fights against ‌App Store‌ regulations across multiple countries.

The two studies published in May come amid rumors that Apple plans to begin supporting sideloading in Europe following the launch of iOS 17. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to allow European customers to obtain apps outside of the ‌App Store‌ and to use alternate payment methods, and Apple will need to allow sideloading by 2024. Apple has argued against sideloading because it skirts the protections offered by the ‌App Store‌ and will require a complicated system where Apple collects a reduced commission from developers.

Sideloading will reportedly only be available in Europe where it is mandated, but other countries are considering similar legislation, and Apple is undoubtedly hoping to discourage regulators from adopting similar laws. In the United States, for example, the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act would allow developers to use non-Apple app stores and alternative payment systems. Studies like this that are widely publicized work to further Apple's narrative about the size of the ‌App Store‌ ecosystem and the potential consequences of dismantling its protections.

Analysis Group's full study can be accessed through the Apple Newsroom article. It goes into more depth on both ‌App Store‌ ecosystem earnings in 2022 and 15-year growth metrics.

Apple's mixed-reality headset will reportedly be the most complicated hardware product ever made by the company, sporting an unusual design that has proven to be an unprecedented challenging to manufacture, The Information reports.

The headset apparently features an "unconventional curved design, thinness, and ultralight weight." Several renders seen by The Information "show a piece of curved glass with edges wrapped in a smooth aluminum frame that appears to be slightly thicker than an iPhone." The thin profile requires users who wear glasses to buy prescription lenses that magnetically clip into the headset.

Apple had to develop a first-of-its-kind "bent motherboard" to fit inside the headset's curved outer shell. Carbon fiber is used inside the headset to reinforce the structure without adding additional weight.

A small dial is located above the right eye, allowing users to transition between augmented and virtual reality, and a power button is located above the left eye. A round connector that looks similar to an Apple Watch charger attaches to the headset's left temple and runs down via a cable to a waist-mounted battery pack.

The headset's headband is primarily made of a soft material and attached to two short, hard temples which also contain the left and right speakers. A soft, removable cover attaches to the back of the headset for comfort against the wearer's face. Apple is said to have debated adding additional eye-tracking cameras or further adjustments to the motorized lenses to accommodate more face shapes.

Apple's industrial design team apparently pushed for the front of the headset to be made of a thin piece of curved glass, requiring more than a dozen cameras and sensors to be concealed for aesthetic reasons. There have apparently been concerns about the glass warping the images captured by the cameras, which could cause nausea if left unfixed, and the material is more prone to shattering than an ‌iPhone‌ screen due to its shape, leading to worries about broken glass from the headset injuring users.

The design is said to be the main driver behind the device's ~$3,000 retail price. Assembly workers apparently struggle to maneuver tools and install components at awkward angles inside the device due to its shape and densely packed electronics. Testing of the glass housing and cameras also takes far longer than equivalent processes for other Apple devices.

The headset's microOLED displays are also said to be so expensive that Apple has to fix defective units rather than discard them. Sony, the displays' supplier, could struggle to manufacture enough panels for more than 250,000 headsets this year due to their small size and pixel density.

Apple has struggled to build prototype headsets due to its complicated design. At an earlier stage in development, Apple was making 100 headsets a day, but only 20 units were up to the company's standards. In mid-April, the headset underwent design validation testing, where it reportedly remained for an unusually long period compared to more mature products like the ‌iPhone‌. Apple apparently made unusually late design tweaks as late as April, to make it easier to manufacture.

While mass production of the headset has not yet begun, Luxshare, its sole manufacturer, has purportedly told workers that the factory that will make the headset must be fully staffed by July. The Information believes this points to a launch in the fall or winter. Apple is expected to ship less than half a million headsets during the first year of its release. For more details, see The Information's full report.

Apple plans to announce a new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch display at WWDC next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The annual developers conference begins with Apple's keynote on Monday, June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

While we wait for the new MacBook Air to be announced, we have recapped five new features that have been rumored or are likely for the laptop.

15-Inch Display

The new MacBook Air will be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display, according to reliable display industry analyst Ross Young. The current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, and the laptop was offered in an 11-inch size many years ago.

While a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display is rumored to launch in 2024, the 15-inch model is expected to have a traditional LCD.

M2 Chip

Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will be available with the M2 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple says the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip, for those who are considering upgrading from a 2020 MacBook Air.

Longer Battery Life

With a 15-inch display, the new MacBook Air would have a larger chassis, allowing for a larger battery and longer battery life.

Apple says the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip lasts up to 18 hours per charge, so perhaps the 15-inch model could get closer to the 20-hour mark. Apple silicon chips continue to have industry-leading performance-per-watt.

Wi-Fi 6E

While the 13-inch MacBook Air is limited to Wi-Fi 6, there is a good chance that the 15-inch model will be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E. Apple released new 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with Wi-Fi 6E in January.

Wi-Fi 6 operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also works over the 6GHz band, allowing for faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference. To take advantage of these benefits, the device must be connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router, available from brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear.

Bluetooth 5.3

Apple has added Bluetooth 5.3 to several of its latest devices, and the 15-inch MacBook Air could be next in line to gain support. Bluetooth 5.3 offers benefits such as improved reliability and power efficiency compared to Bluetooth 5.2.

Following a few deals on the nano-texture glass version of the Apple Studio Display last month, today Amazon has the standard glass option of the display for $1,349.99, down from $1,599.00. Amazon provides an estimated June 6 date for deliveries to most United States residences.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This deal is offering a second-best price on the standard glass version of the Apple Studio Display, and it's only available with the basic tilt-adjustable stand option. As of writing, we aren't tracking any notable discounts on the nano-texture glass Apple Studio Display.

The main difference between the standard glass and the upgrade to nano-texture glass options has to do with minimizing glare, with Apple stating that the nano-texture option is ideal for workspaces with bright lighting. Both versions feature a 27-inch 5K retina display, a built-in A13 Bionic chip to power the camera and audio systems, a 12-megapixel f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera, and more.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple today added the Thunderbolt Display and the first-generation iPad Air to its obsolete products list, meaning the devices are no longer eligible for repairs or other hardware service at Apple Stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Apple classifies a product as obsolete once more than seven years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. Both the Thunderbolt Display and the original iPad Air were discontinued in 2016.

Introduced in 2011, the Thunderbolt Display featured a 27-inch screen with 1440p resolution, a 720p camera, three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a Thunderbolt port. Priced at $999, the Thunderbolt Display was the last Apple-branded monitor until the Pro Display XDR launched in 2019.

The original iPad Air launched in 2013 and featured a 9.7-inch display and the A7 chip. It was advertised as being 20% thinner and 28% lighter, and having 43% narrower display bezels, compared to the previous-generation iPad.

Apple also classified the fifth-generation entry-level iPad as vintage. Apple considers a product to be vintage once more than five years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale, but repairs and service may still be available until the product becomes obsolete in two more years, subject to parts availability.

Apple is overtly teasing the start of "a new era" and the ability to "code new worlds" at WWDC this year, building anticipation around the widely expected announcement of its mixed-reality headset.

A tweet shared by Apple earlier today made the "new era" remark, seemingly leaning into the high expectations surrounding next week's WWDC keynote. The launch of a major new device and operating system, something that has not occurred since the debut of the original Apple Watch in September 2014, would certainly seem to justify the start of a new era for the company.

In a similar move, Apple yesterday published a blog post on the Apple Developer website titled "Code new worlds." The language may hint at developers' ability to create immersive augmented-reality and virtual-reality experiences for Apple's headset.

Neither the "new era" nor "code new worlds" phrases had been used until now, in what seems to be a ramping up of rhetoric around the upcoming keynote event. Apple CEO Tim Cook referred to the "beginning of a new era for iPhone" upon announcing the ‌iPhone‌ 12 in October 2020, but the company seldom makes such bold statements ahead of events, especially for WWDC. Earlier today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he expects the keynote "to be one of Apple's longest ever and easily exceed two hours."

Apple will focus on three main topics during its WWDC keynote next week, including "several new Macs," composing one of the company's longest-ever events, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said.

In a tweet shared earlier today, Gurman said that this year's WWDC keynote will focus on the announcement of "several" new Mac models, Apple's mixed-reality headset, and a range of significant OS updates. An all-new 15-inch MacBook Air model is the only Mac firmly pinned down by rumors for announcement at the event, so it is unclear what other Mac models could be on the table.

Last week, Gurman reported that the Mac Studio, 13-inch M2 ‌MacBook Air‌, and 13-inch ‌‌M2‌‌ MacBook Pro, will become eligible for trade-in on the day of the event, potentially hinting that a refresh for at least one of those machines could be on the way. 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the M3 chip are rumored to be in development, but the first M3 Macs are not expected to launch until toward the end of the year.

Apple introduced the ‌Mac Studio‌ in May 2022, offering configurations with the M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips. Despite the launch of a range of Macs with the ‌M2‌, ‌M2‌ Pro, and ‌M2‌ Max chips, Apple has not yet refreshed the ‌Mac Studio‌. Gurman believes that two new Mac Studio models are in the works, but is unsure of when they will launch.

He has previously cast doubt over the possibility of update being announced at WWDC, suggesting that Apple is more likely to wait until the M3 generation to update the ‌Mac Studio‌ as to avoid cannibalizing the Apple silicon Mac Pro. Even so, updated ‌Mac Studio‌ models with ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chip options are certainly not out of the question for WWDC this year.

The Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌ is also a possibility, but speaking on the The MacRumors Show podcast earlier this year, Gurman explained that while he still expects the new ‌Mac Pro‌ to launch this year, it is unlikely to emerge at WWDC.

Due to the sheer quantity of what Apple is expected to announce at WWDC, Gurman expects the keynote "to be one of Apple's longest ever and easily exceed two hours." Last year's WWDC keynote event was just under one hour and 50 minutes long. The event contained the announcement of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13 Ventura, watchOS 9, the ‌M2‌ chip, a refreshed 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and the redesigned ‌MacBook Air‌.

Apple is continuing to prepare for the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, with the official hashflag for the event rolling out as of today. The #WWDC23 hashtag on Twitter now features a custom-designed Apple logo that matches the design that Apple is using this year.

For those unfamiliar with hashflags, they are custom, paid icons that appear next to specific hashtags on the Twitter social network. You can see the hashflag when you use the #WWDC23 hashtag.

This year's hashflag is an Apple logo in shades of blue, purple, pink, and black. Apple has used custom hashflags since 2020 to boost event visibility and build hype on Twitter.

WWDC 2023 is set to begin on Monday, June 5.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is kicking off next Monday, and starting later this week, developers who have been invited to attend in person will be catching flights to get to Cupertino, California.

Developer Ryan Jones today announced the launch of a useful flight tracking tool for those who are attending, which is available through the Flighty flight tracking app. WWDC attendees can add their flights to the Flighty WWDC 2023 website to see other developers who will be flying in from the same airports and who may be on the same flights.

Dates are not shared, nor are flight numbers and airlines, but developers can add their names to see who else is coming to and from their local airports. The site also provides a look at interesting aggregate data, such as the number of countries developers are flying from, which airports, the distance traveled, and more.

A map view shows all of the incoming flights at a glance, and clicking into a location displays the developers coming from that area. The tool is free to use, and available through the Flighty website.

Flighty is a robust flight tracking app that offers up all of the flight information that you need ahead of a trip. It provides quick notifications of any changes, alerts you to possible delays based on late inbound planes, and provides at-a-glance information on departure/arrival times, gate numbers, baggage claim locations, and more.

Flighty is free to download, but unlocking all features requires a Pro subscription. [Direct Link]

Web Roulette is a newly launched lightweight app from Impending, the app designers behind popular game Heads Up and list-making app Clear. Web Roulette is a redesigned browser app that lets you swipe through your favorite sites one after another, so you can better keep up with new content.

The Web Roulette interface is populated with a list of popular websites in categories like technology, pop culture, news, gaming, lifestyle, social, shopping, sports, fashion, and business, so you can download it, open it up, select your favorites, and start swiping, but it works best with customization.

You're meant to choose the sites that you regularly visit throughout the day, and if they're not in the provided list, you can add them. Once you've loaded the app up, it shifts over to a focused, single-site browser experience. It loads the first webpage in the list, and you can swipe left or right to access additional webpages.

The idea is to swipe through during the day to see new content on the pages that you like to refresh. For sites like MacRumors, for example, you'll see an up-to-date version of the front page each time you get to it through your swiping routine. You can swipe left or right through each webpage that you've added without needing to go to Safari and type in the website or change tabs each time you want to get new content.

The app works just like any other web browser, so you can tap into stories and use another swipe to get back to where you were.

As a little bonus, as you swipe through the app, you'll earn shakes. Shaking the iPhone will bring up a random, interesting website that may catch your attention and give you something fresh to read. Swipes and shakes are precached, cutting down on load times.

Swiping on the ‌iPhone‌ is a natural gesture, and browsing websites this way is quick and convenient, plus there is a satisfying haptic mechanic when you shake. Web Roulette is free to use, and can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

The AR/VR headset that Apple plans to introduce at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week has long been rumored to feature 4K micro OLED displays with an 8K total resolution, but notable display analyst Ross Young today shared some additional specifications that give some insight into how the headset will work.

Each of the two displays will measure in at 1.41 inches diagonally, with Apple aiming for over 5000 nits of brightness and 4,000 pixels per inch. Unfortunately, AR/VR display specs used in headsets from competitors like Sony and Meta aren't generally advertised beyond resolution and pixels per inch, so it's difficult to make a direct comparison, but the information from Young does provide some context.

With ~5000 nits brightness or more, the AR/VR headset from Apple would support HDR or high dynamic range content, which is not typical for current VR headsets on the market. The Meta Quest 2, for example, maxes out around 100 nits of brightness and it does not offer HDR, and the HoloLens 2 offers 500 nits brightness. Sony's PSVR 2 headset has around 265 nits of brightness, and it does have an advertised HDR feature when connected to an HDR display.

According to Young, the 5000 nits likely refers to peak brightness, which means that it won't blind users, but will instead provide superior contrast, brighter colors, and better highlights than other headsets that are available today. For SDR displays, peak brightness is often a reference to how well a display will perform in rooms with bright lighting as it is akin to maximum brightness, but for HDR displays, it's a metric of how well a display depicts color and contrast.

High-end TVs offer somewhere around 2,000 to 5,000 nits, for comparison. Samsung, for example, has a 98-inch TV that is able to reach 5,000 nits, along with Neo QLED TVs that offer 4,000 nits peak brightness. Samsung advertises these TVs as having "stunning, accurate color detail and an extraordinary range of contrast, creating a beyond-life-like experience."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2022 showed off a "Starbursts" VR headset prototype able to hit 20,000 nits of brightness, but it was enormous, not wearable on the head, and not technology that Meta is able to implement as of yet.

If Apple hits that 5000+ nits brightness target, its headset will offer a display experience that competitors are unable to match, and it will also set the stage for future AR glasses. Augmented reality glasses need high brightness to mitigate the light from the sun and other light sources. At lower brightness levels, the AR content that overlays the real world view can be washed out.

Magic Leap 2, one of the more well-known augmented reality headsets, features brightness ranging from 20 nits to 2000 nits.

The 8K resolution offered by Apple's AR/VR headset will be superior to headsets from Meta and other companies, including Meta's highest-end Quest Pro 2. The Quest Pro 2 has a resolution of 1800 x 1920 pixels per eye and around 1200 pixels per inch as Meta is using LCD display technology.

The high-end displays that Apple has created for the AR/VR headset are rumored to be the most expensive component and a major contributor to the expected ~$3,000 price. At $3,000, Apple's AR/VR headset will be one of the more expensive virtual reality headsets on the market, though it will be competitive in price with AR-based products like the Magic Leap 2 and the HoloLens 2.

More information on what to expect from Apple's AR/VR headset can be found in our dedicated roundup.