Apple’s rumored VR headset to feature external battery pack
Apple’s rumored virtual reality headset, the Reality Pro, is reportedly taking an unusual approach by having an external battery pack. This news was revealed by Mark Gurman, a notable industry analyst in a recent Bloomberg newsletter.
Gurman claims that Apple made the choice to include the external battery pack to “reduce weight and improve comfort” of the headset. The battery pack is said to be small enough to fit inside a user’s pocket and will connect to the VR headset via cable. This is a design choice that is not commonly seen in most headsets, which typically have an internal battery, such as the Oculus Quest 2.
Gurman also stated that the external battery pack looks similar to the iPhone MagSafe battery, but is bigger, measuring “about the size of an iPhone but thicker.” The Reality Pro will have two ports, a USB-C connector for handling data and a proprietary charger input.
The charging cable jutting from the pack will connect to the port magnetically where users will then have to “rotate it clockwise to lock it in place.” However, the charging cable is integrated into the battery, and the battery only lasts about two hours. Users won’t be able to hot-swap in a third-party power bank with a longer lifespan, making what should be a simple process cumbersome.
Gurman believes that future users will probably be forced to purchase extra battery packs, given the short battery life. He also points out that the short battery life is most likely a consequence of the Reality Pro sporting an M2 chip plus two 4K displays.
Although the newsletter doesn’t show what the battery pack looks like, Twitter user Marcus Kane has taken Gurman’s description to create a render of what the device may look like. Kane’s render looks thinner and taller than the MagSafe battery, and he speculates that “two battery packs will be enough for indefinite use [as] you could charge one as you use the other.”
However, the price tag for the rumored headset is another major issue. Rumors suggest that the Reality Pro is predicted to cost around $3,000 USD, and with customers potentially needing extra battery packs, this makes for a very expensive gadget. This has led some industry experts to question whether there will be sufficient demand for such a high-priced device.
Apple is set to hold WWDC 2023 from June 5 to 9, and it is hoped that more information about the VR headset will be revealed during this event. However, another notable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, has claimed that some production delays have created “uncertainty” around the device, even making an appearance at the big event unlikely.
Nevertheless, if Apple does release the Reality Pro, it will undoubtedly be an interesting addition to the VR headset market, with its unique external battery pack design.
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