[dfex]

Exactly - Apple has all the pieces to absolutely nail the AR workspace experience.

Reality OS Headset built on top of iOS (and MacOS) could easily allow bluetooth peripherals (keyboard/mouse) to pair with to their headset, and you've got multi-monitor workspace ready to go in a physical space that normally wouldn't accomodate it.

Need more CPU/GPU than the Headset provides? Just use Sidecar to push your Mac desktop into AR and work on it as a 2D pane from there.

I've used Virtual Desktop on the HP G2 Reverb, and while the quality was excellent, it's a bit clunky having to connect HDMI/Displayport loopback connectors to bring up multiple displays, and I'd much prefer to do my work in MacOS.

A lot of the speculation around the new product seems to be around AR augmenting people moving around in public space, but the thing that gets me excited is what this might mean for the traditional desktop environment.

[Twisell]

And while we are at connecting the dots... One main problem with VR/AR is how the hell are you supposed to have online meeting while under a ski mask?

The headset could include discreet lidar/else captor to track eyes movements. Meanwhile the base could track head movements and mouth expression from the outside. Bam you have every data points to animate a memoji. I guess through an API more advanced avatars could be designed by a game developer. But memoji would be a nice proof of concept.

If all this materialize The sweet spot would be a Thunderbolt plug and a M1/M2 requirements. The 3000$ rumored price tag would refer to a complete setup including a mac mini but the headset alone could sell at a more affordable price range.

(Disclaimer: this is a personal guess I have no access to insiders)

[Tepix]

Yes, tracking the entire face is already being done in prototypes. I guess Meta in particular is extremely interested in rolling this out, it enables them to analyze better which content and ads you react to.

[pmontra]

People in the meeting with standard laptops and desktops with a camera are going to show their faces to the other participants. What are they going to see for the ones wearing a headset?

[Twisell]

An avatar like the Apple memoji, they already heavily communicate around this concept over previous online WWDC (due to COVID) https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=gclaxoae

This could make total sense, I always thought they spend to much energy on what was a gimmick at this point. But maybe they were just preparing a live memoji feature until it was flawless.

You might notice that unlike Meta, Apple current approach focus solely on head avatar. But they make a point for them to be very expressive.

This also perfectly fit the privacy narrative. Expressing yourself thought an expressive live animated avatar help preserve privacy as a remote worker. My life companion colleagues never agreed to turn on their webcam, maybe they would feel more at ease with an avatar.

PS: Maybe a better video (example) of the footage used in last year daily WWDC recap. The setup for the daily recap was a memoji of Serenity Caldwell reporting thought online meeting with other developers using memoji.

WWDC22 Day 5 Final statement : https://youtu.be/PMCDIIxBiZA?t=46

WWDC21 Day 5 Final statement : https://youtu.be/fwQF-HQG-pU?t=64

WWDC20 Day 5 Final statement : https://youtu.be/GHHw_hOnML0?t=1

Fun to see the evolution also...

[pmontra]

I just switch off my camera when I don't need it and turn it on for those few business interactions that are more effective by looking each other faces. That's it. 3D moving avatars feel totally inappropriate to me in a business environment. I would wonder if I am working with kids.

[Twisell]

Not sure typical business meetings would be the main target audience anyway. Videoconferencing is here to stay.

It should rather be compared to other VR avatar concepts. Meta full body avatar for instance. The tech is clearly not ready and feel clumsy and add absolutely nothing. Meanwhile a floating head of some sort that can surimpose over the media you are collaborating on could be a better experience.

[xrguy]

meta codec avatar comes to mind, apple could do the same or better perheps