Apple’s virtual reality headset will run with hundreds of thousands of iPad apps and take an all-encompassing approach to features, according to Bloomberg.
In a bid to entice both developers and consumers, Apple has included gaming, fitness, and e-reader functionality for the virtual reality headset, Bloomberg reported. Customers will reportedly be able to watch sports in virtual reality and play “top-tier” games that work with Apple’s other devices.
The headset will run most of Apple’s flagship iPad apps, including Books, Camera, FaceTime, Maps and Messages. There are also hundreds of thousands of third-party iPad apps that will reportedly be compatible with the headset at launch.
The Fitness app will reportedly be a point of particular focus, although Bloomberg said the feature “likely” won’t be available at launch.
The new headset will also reportedly feature an external battery that sits inside a user’s pocket, connected to the headset by a specialized charging cable. The battery is visually similar to Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, and will itself be charged by an industry-standard USB-C cable, according to the report.
The headset is widely expected to be announced in June, at Apple’s WWDC event. Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company is concerned about consumer response to the product, amidst a softening macroeconomic background. Apple’s headset will reportedly cost a minimum of $3,000, three times as expensive as Meta‘s high-end Quest Pro.
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