Apple is reportedly one-upping Meta in the mixed reality competition by offering iris-scanning technology.
According to a report from The Information, the tech giant’s forthcoming XR device will include sensors that work like Face ID in iPhones and iPads. The technology, called “Iris ID,” would enable users to log in their accounts and make payments biometrically. The headset also reportedly has more than 10 cameras and might have the same M2 chip as the one powering the latest MacBook Air. Apple’s XR headset has been highly-anticipated for years and is expected to be released sometime in 2023.
This news comes after Meta unveiled its high-end VR headset, the Quest Pro, at Meta Connect 2022 earlier this week. The Quest Pro, which is selling for $1,500 is marketed towards businesses as a solution to hybrid work and virtual collaboration. It comes with advanced eye-tracking capabilities for a realistic virtual experience and full color passthrough technology so you can superimpose virtual features over your real-world settings. But it doesn’t offer the iris-scanning technology that Apple popularized with its own devices.
The Information also details how Apple’s XR headset will differ from the Quest Pro in terms of design. It is described as looking like “a pair of ski goggles” and will be made of mesh fabric, aluminum, and glass, as opposed to the Quest Pro, which looks more like the top half of a helmet and has a plastic visor and padding. The Apple headset is also said to be lighter than the Quest Pro which weighs 1.6 pounds.
But all of this innovation won’t come cheap. It’s rumored that it will cost between $2,000 and $3,000, which is significantly more than the Quest Pro, the most premium version of Meta’s VR headset lineup to date. Your move, Meta.
