Last month quit Apple announced that hardware chief Dan Riccio will oversee a "new project" while John Ternus will take over the position of senior vice president of hardware engineering. Details have now been published by Bloomberg.
According to the Bloomberg report, Riccio will now focus on "overseeing the team developing future Apple AR and VR headsets." Apple itself did not provide any details in its statement at the time. Rumors that Apple is working on AR and VR products have been around for a long time. But there are said to be complications in development. According to Bloomberg, Apple now hopes that Riccio's hardware expertise will help overcome these obstacles. But Mike Rockwell's role will continue. He is currently said to lead a team of "well over a thousand engineers" working on Apple's AR and VR headsets.
Apple could first introduce VR/AR mixed reality headset
In addition, the report states that Apple has informed employees that the group working on “in-house displays and proprietary camera technology” will be handed over to Johny Srouji, who is currently in charge of processors and cellular modems. From the Article shows:
The move suggests the company is getting closer to shipping its first devices with fully custom displays, replacing those from outside suppliers. Apple has a facility near its Silicon Valley headquarters that develops MicroLED screens.
The first Apple VR/AR mixed reality headset is expected to be a high-end premium device priced well above the competition, with Apple reportedly anticipating it being a niche product before eventually unveiling a mainstream AR headset. (Image: Apple)