Rumor: Apple to introduce Apple Glass AR at WWDC 2022 with new companion iPod

Apple has made no secret about its belief in AR. Its interest in the technology can already be enjoyed in current iPhones and iPads with more recent models also picking up LIDAR technology to further improve the experience. The company has also been long-rumored to be developing its own AR headset said to be dubbed 'Apple Glass'. Now, renowned tech evangelist Robert Scoble has claimed we will finally get to see the product unveiled at WWDC 2022. The timing is in line with previous rumors.

Although Apple typically doesn’t release or unveil hardware at its developer event, it would make some sense to do so in this instance. It is conceivable that Apple would be keen to introduce developers to the tools needed to make great AR experiences in time for the eventual launch of the hardware itself. While Apple will undoubtedly be developing its own software for the device, an App Store section for it would look rather bare without developers being given advance opportunity to help start filling it.

Integral to the new AR headset experience, according to Scoble, is what he says is a ‘major new version’ of the iPod. Although the iPod is Apple’s forgotten device, the company still sells its iPod Touch. This new model, however, is supposed to deliver a “mind-blowing audio experience” which also seems plausible to the extent that visual and audio often combine to create more immersive experiences. If true, spatial audio and head tracking will inevitably play a central role. It would also help make more sense of the launch of lossless and hi-res music on Apple Music, neither of which are fully supported by Apple’s current AirPods range. This purported new iPod would also double as a control surface for the headset.

Like all rumors, all of this needs to be considered with caution. In fact, Scoble himself tweeted in relation to his tip that his audience should “Consider anything I say about Apple as untrustworthy”, though he adds “But it is informed”.

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