Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, June 1 (Xinhua)-- Apple's hybrid reality headset will be the most complex hardware product in the company's history, and its unique surface design has brought unprecedented challenges to production, according to The Information. The headshow is expected to be released on WWDC 2023 on June 5 and will sell for about $3000 (CTOnews.com Note: currently about 21240 yuan).

The head is said to have "unconventional curved design, ultra-thin and ultra-light", and several renderings seen by The Information "show a piece of curved glass with a smooth aluminum frame around the edge, which looks slightly thicker than the iPhone". Because of the thin appearance, users who need to wear glasses must buy prescription lenses that can be magnetized to the head.

In order to adapt to the curved shell, Apple had to develop a first "bending motherboard". In order to strengthen the structure without increasing the weight, the carbon fiber material is used inside the head display. There is a small knob above the right eye that allows users to switch between augmented reality and virtual reality, and a power button above the left eye. A circular connector similar to the Apple Watch charger is attached to the left mirror leg of the head display and is connected to the battery pack worn at the waist through a cable.

The headband is mainly made of soft material and connected to two short and hard mirror legs, which also contain left and right loudspeakers. In order to improve the wearer's facial comfort, a soft and detachable cover is attached to the back of the head.

It is reported that Apple has discussed whether to add more eye tracking cameras or further adjust the electric lenses to suit more faces. Apple's industrial design team clearly advocates that the front of the head should be made of a thin piece of curved glass, which requires hiding more than a dozen cameras and sensors for aesthetic reasons. But it also raises concerns that the glass distorts the image captured by the camera, which, if left uncorrected, may make the wearer feel sick, and because of the shape of the glass, it shatters more easily than the iPhone screen, which can cause head fragments to hurt the user.

This design is said to be the main reason why the device retails for as much as $3000. Because of its special shape and dense array of electronic components, it is difficult for assembly workers to operate and install components inside the device, and it takes longer to test glass cases and cameras than other Apple devices. In addition, the microOLED display used in the head display is so expensive that Apple has to fix defective units instead of throwing them away. Sony, a supplier of displays, may struggle to produce enough panels this year because of their size and pixel density, and Apple is expected to ship fewer than 250000 displays this year.

Apple also encountered difficulties in making a prototype head display because its design was too complex. In the early stages of development, Apple could produce 100 displays a day, but only 20 met the company's standards. In mid-April, the head was tested for design verification, and it is said to have stayed at this stage for much longer than more mature products such as the iPhone. It is reported that Apple even made some very late design changes in April to make it easier to produce.

Although the head has not yet begun mass production, its only manufacturer, Lixun Precision, is said to have told workers that the factory that will make the display must be in place by July. The Information believes that this means that the head show is likely to go on sale in the autumn or winter, and is expected to ship fewer than 500000 units in its first year on the market.

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