Apple and Meta to go Head-to-Head in 2022 Technological Innovations

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed new details in his newsletter PowerOn, stating that Apple’s AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) headset to be released in the future may cost up to $2000.

According to Gurman, the headset is expected to unveil in 2022, and will directly rival Meta’s (formerly Facebook) own headset, which is for now known as Project Cambria. According to Gurman, both Apple’s AR/VR headset and Facebook’s Cambria will be vital for users looking to dive into the metaverse.

During the Meta announcement, Mark Zuckerberg gave a quick glimpse of Project Cambria. Zuckerberg had explained that the headset would be more expansive, and would come with even more advanced technologies. At the ‘Facebook’ Connect Conference in October, Zuckerberg confirmed that the Cambria is going to be a separate high-end product from the company’s Quest 2 headset.

In a subsequent blog post, Meta also stated that Project Cambria would have an “improved social presence, pancake optics and colour passthrough.” It was also confirmed that it would not be a successor to the Oculus Rift 2 or Rift 3.

Gurman’s PowerOn newsletter notes that Apple and Meta could compete in the area of fitness watches as well, since Meta is also set to launch its smartwatches in 2022. The Verge had also previously reported that Meta’s proposed smartwatch would come with two different camera options. The report stated that one camera would be tailored to video calling, while the other camera (which is detachable) would be able to record video at full HD or 1080p resolution.

As it stands, Apple Watches do not come with a camera and Meta’s decision to include two cameras may make the product stand out in the market. However, it should be noted Apple has been dominating the smartwatch space unchallenged, staying as the market leader.

The PowerOn newsletter hints that Apple could also launch two new products in the home market. This would include a device that combines a speaker and TV set-top box with a camera, and the other would be a smart speaker which would have a screen. Meta already has a smart speaker with a screen, known as Portal. Apple’s HomePod smart speaker has not taken the market by storm, and explains why the company wants to revamp its home product lineup.