Skip to main content

Apple’s AR headset could now come with 3 immersive displays

Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset is a hot topic in the world of leaks and rumors, with a big reveal potentially coming later this year. Now, a new report has claimed it will come with three screens for your viewing pleasure.

The report comes from the industry analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) and outlines ten predictions the firm has for the display industry in 2022. In a section covering Apple’s forthcoming headset, DSCC indicates its belief that the device will incorporate three display modules, comprising two MicroLED panels and one AMOLED display.

Apple VR Headset Concept by Antonio De Rosa
Antonio De Rosa

This is possibly the first time we’ve heard a claim like this. Previously, analysts have suggested Apple’s headset will come with two 8K displays (one for each eye) and could use an advanced array of cameras and sensors, but DSCC appears to be among the first to predict a three-display setup.

Recommended Videos

The report asserts there have been some tantalizing clues towards this possibility. For one thing, Sony recently unveiled a 4K MicroLED display aimed at virtual reality (VR) usage with a roughly 4,000 pixels-per-inch (PPI) resolution. According to DSCC, it’s possible this display was made for Apple’s headset. It adds that if we go on the assumption the headset screen array will be 4,000 pixels by 4,000 pixels, the display could measure 1.4 inches across. Interestingly, that contradicts an earlier claim that the displays will have a 3,000 PPI resolution.

So, that’s two MicroLED displays accounted for. What about the AMOLED screen? These have been rare in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets because of their relatively low resolution, the report states. However, Apple could put one to use for peripheral vision, where high resolution is less important. For instance, this would allow content directly in front of you to be in focus while peripheral content is blurred, enabling an immersive all-around experience where you can still focus directly ahead.

However, this kind of setup won’t come cheap, the report adds, asserting that Apple’s headset could set you back “several thousand dollars.” That’s roughly in line with an earlier report from The Information, which pegged the price at $3,000 but counters a more recent article by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said the headset could start at $1,000.

DSCC’s report states that the first generation of the device will be aimed at professionals and developers and will help expand Apple’s AR and VR ecosystem. It will include a high-end CPU and GPU, multiple cameras, and potentially a LiDAR sensor to boot.

While this report throws some interesting ideas into the mix, it contradicts a few earlier claims and leaks. That does not mean it’s wrong but is an indication of how muddied the waters are with Apple’s headset. Hopefully, we will find out more later this year, when Apple is rumored to reveal the device to the world.

Alex Blake
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…
Apple’s AR smart glasses may not be dead, after all
Person wearing Meta Orion smart glasses.

It seems Apple’s plans for making AR glasses are not dead after all, though it might take some time before the company puts them on the shelves. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple has shelved its AR smart glasses project, just like its doomed car project.

Now, the outlet claims that Apple has not entirely given up on that category. “I’m told that Apple’s long-term goal of standalone AR glasses remains intact, and the company will keep working on underlying technology — like screens and silicon — to help make such a device more feasible,” writes Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter.

Read more
Apple’s Vision Pro is getting the M5 chip, but that’s not what it really needs
Two people talk while one wears an Apple Vision Pro headset. Their eyes are visible through the device using the EyeSight feature.

We’ve not yet seen the full rollout of Apple’s M4 chip family -- the M4 Ultra is still yet to make an appearance -- but already we’ve just learned that the M5 chip is now in production. That means it’ll probably arrive in Macs either late this year or early next year.

If you’ve been waiting to buy a new MacBook Pro, that could mean 2026 is the year to finally pull the trigger. After all, Apple is expected to fully redesign its flagship laptop for next year’s release, and if that coincides with a powerful new M5 chip, all the better.

Read more
As the Vision Pro turns one, there’s one thing Apple must do to fix it
A person wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset.

It’s just over a year since Apple first listed its Vision Pro headset for sale, and the device hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire since then. Yet after a year of reflection, there’s one thing that Apple very clearly needs to do if it’s going to get its mixed-reality headset back on track.

That thing is to launch a more affordable model, pure and simple. It goes against Apple’s preferred way of doing things -- the company is used to making the best, most premium devices it can and pricing them accordingly -- but it’s the only way the company is going to be able to make its headset go truly mainstream.
Sticker shock

Read more