Macworld - USA (2021-03)

March 2021 • Macworld 7

for its first headset”, but rather a

high-end, expensive, niche product

that would appeal to developers and

well-heeled consumers, preparing

everyone for an eventual mass-market

AR glasses product.

The headset, code-named N301,

is expected to be more expensive

than VR products from Oculus, so

much so that Apple may only sell a

single unit a day per Apple Store. That

works out to less than 200,000 units

for the year, putting it in the same

rarefied air as the Mac Pro.

The headset is said to include

some of Apple’s most powerful

chips (some even faster than the

M1), along with displays that are

higher-resolution than those found

in competing devices. It has external

cameras for “some AR features”

and hand-tracking, with Apple even

testing the ability for users to type in

the air for text input. It has also been

designed with a fan, which may be a

challenge in a VR headset. Gurman

says the headset is in a prototype

stage and plans can change or even

be scrapped entirely before launch,

which could be as soon as next year.

The headset is meant as a

precursor to the company’s AR

glasses, code-named N421, which

are in an earlier ‘architecture’ stage

of development and not expected to

launch for several years.

March 2021 • Macworld 7

for its first headset”, but rather a
high-end, expensive, niche product
that would appeal to developers and
well-heeled consumers, preparing
everyone for an eventual mass-market
AR glasses product.
The headset, code-named N301,
is expected to be more expensive
than VR products from Oculus, so
much so that Apple may only sell a
single unit a day per Apple Store. That
works out to less than 200,000 units
for the year, putting it in the same
rarefied air as the Mac Pro.
The headset is said to include
some of Apple’s most powerful
chips (some even faster than the
M1), along with displays that are
higher-resolution than those found
in competing devices. It has external
cameras for “some AR features”
and hand-tracking, with Apple even
testing the ability for users to type in
the air for text input. It has also been
designed with a fan, which may be a
challenge in a VR headset. Gurman
says the headset is in a prototype
stage and plans can change or even
be scrapped entirely before launch,
which could be as soon as next year.
The headset is meant as a
precursor to the company’s AR
glasses, code-named N421, which
are in an earlier ‘architecture’ stage

of development and not expected to

launch for several years.