Apple is reportedly planning to use Wi-Fi 6E in iPhone 14 series and the upcoming Apple VR headset.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that new Apple products, including the iPhone 14 and a head-mounted display device, will accelerate a broader industry upgrade to the Wi-Fi 6E specification, reports MacRumors.
Wi-Fi 6E enables a higher-speed 6GHz connection that will be essential for the user experience of Apple’s VR headset. Wi-Fi 6E offers the features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6, including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates, extended into the 6 GHz band.
Kuo said that head-mounted display devices in 2022, 2023, and 2024 will offer Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 6E/7, and Wi-Fi 7, respectively.
The adoption of the latest Wi-Fi specification is a basic requirement for head-mounted displays (HMDs) to improve the wireless experience. New HMDs from Meta, Apple, and Sony will all adopt Wi-Fi 6/6E in 2022
The upcoming headset would likely not be aimed at consumers, but instead, be geared towards developers and business customers.
It may feature at least 15 camera modules, feature eye-tracking, possibly iris recognition, and could cost between $2,000 and $3,000.
The upcoming Apple headset will be similar to the Oculus Quest, and some prototypes being tested include external cameras to enable some AR features.
Apple is also reportedly testing the ability to use these cameras to track hand movements, and include software features like a virtual keyboard.
