Apple Inc has requested materials for use in its upcoming mixed reality (MR) headset in a bid to achieve higher resolution rates, it was reported on Tuesday.
According to TheElec, the US tech giant requested samples of a fine metal mask (FMM) from APS Holdings to reach a screen resolution of 3,000 pixels per inch (PPI) in a virtual reality (VR) device.
Laser-drilled FMMs are used to produce red, green, and blue pixels in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, namely for smartphones capable of roughly 1500×1850 or higher resolutions.
The Cupertino-based firm requested the FMM to reach specifications and test with the future head-mounted display ahead of production, the report read.
The report added Apple may aim for a MicroOLED display, which achieves microseconds-fast response rates ideal for virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) use. Such high-density ppi rates are essential in VR/AR applications due to the close proximity of the displays to the eyes.
The Road to Apple’s MR Headset Launch
The news comes after Apple filed several key patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which have included air conditioning units, enhanced facial tracking systems, an MR user interface (UI), and others, for the headset ahead of its release.
XR Today also reported in March the US tech giant had teamed up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor firm, to develop future OLED displays with wafers capable of reaching up to 8K resolutions with greater power efficacy.
Apple’s elusive MR headset is set for release in mid-2022, according to a key analyst, and could be adopted for professional developers and content creators rather than consumers.
The company has also outlined additional plans to release smartglasses and later, MR contact lenses by 2040, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said at the time.
It was also revealed in early September the expected headset may require tethering to iPhones or Macbooks to offload processing power to external devices with more capable chipsets, namely those with Apple’s proprietary M1 semiconductors with artificial intelligence (AI)-backed neural engines.
