All Mode
At this year’s WWDC, Apple threw its hat into the virtual reality and augmented reality ring that all the big boys want to join. They announced that Macs were going to become virtual reality compatible and that iPhones were going to get some lovely augmented reality features that look just as good or better than anything Google and Samsung are doing. What did they didn’t announce was a virtual reality headset adapter for the iPhone a la Samsung’s Gear VR.
Image credit: iDrop News
That said, while reading between the lines, looking at new product features, and examining their AR approach I found out that Apple has the crucial components in place to put together a portable iPhone virtual reality system that would easily blow Google’s Daydream and Samsung’s Gear VR system out of the water. Whether or not Apple will join the somewhat successful virtual reality headset adapter market remains very unclear, however, the pieces are there and the iPhone 8’s release is arguably the best time to do it!
Why Apple could release the Ultimate Portable VR with iPhone 8
With the impending release of the iPhone 8, Apple will be facing a massive storm of critique, praise, and uncertainty because, as the rumor goes it, Apple is unveiling a completely new and redesigned iPhone that is a radical departure from past year’s incremental update model. Part of the impending storm is due to Apple’s slow incremental update cycle. In the past few years, Apple has taken a conservative approach to design which has left fans screaming for more after iPhone announcements. This has resulted in a slowdown of iPhone sales.
Because there is so much at hand here, today, I will focus on a discussion the screen technology while continuing later on other aspects of Apple’s virtual reality approach. First of all, most rumors regarding the iPhone 8 involve a new screen that will melt faces across the globe. Everyone can agree. The iPhone is due for a screen update!
1080P: Meh
Since the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, consumers have been stuck with a max resolution of 1080p on their iPhones. This is still technically retina quality, but Apple’s rivals have been updating their screens to a level of perfection that has been making Apple look bad. The Samsung S8 has a massive screen resolution that nears 2k. This is more than most people’s computer monitors have. These screens don’t consume much power either because they use the energy-efficient AMOLED technology that Apple has only used in Apple Watches so far…
Comparison of new iPhone sizes. Image credit: NE ViewPoint
To keep up with the pack, we can almost be assured that Apple will boost the screen resolution beyond the meh 1080p screens that are top dog in iPhone-landia now. Boosting the screen resolution not only looks great but is fundamentally necessary for virtual reality headsets. VR setups like Google Cardboard and Gear VR require users to insert the phone straight into the front of their eyes. As a result, this lessens the retinal pixel distance and makes 1080p pixels visible (accounting for lens distortion).
Nearing 2k: Yes
Image credit: KGI
The near 2k resolution found on Samsung S devices makes VR visuals on the Gear VR look crisp and detailed. With this in mind, it is very likely that Apple will boost the resolution of their screen because 1) they are looking lame these days with 1080p, 2) the rumor is that Apple is switching to power conservative AMOLED which makes 2k screens less power hungry and 3) high-resolution screens are also good for VR applications which more and more users are demanding from phones.
Apple would be foolish to ignore all of this. They have ignored consumer demands in the past, but given that this year’s iPhone 8 release is so important, it’s very likely they will not ignore the demand for a higher resolution screen this year.
To be continued with:
- 120hz Screens
- Laser Scanning
- Supreme AR
It’s high time that Apple seriously delivers some high-end VR solution and keep up with its image of bringing breakthrough “innovative” products to the market… So far it has been quite a slow mover …. Let’s see what happens ahead
couldn’t agree more, they were very innovative in steve jobs times. Lets hope they start thinking like that again
With the continual progress, it’s clear that VR will approach Matrix quality some day.