Oh great, here we go. Thanks to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, we’ve learned that Apple’s upcoming Reality Pro headset will take advantage of a new proprietary charger… the most Apple move.
In Gurman’s weekly Power On newsletter he breaks down the new charger:
Apple’s headset will have a new proprietary charging connector. One of the device’s more surprising design elements is the use of an external battery that rests in a user’s pocket and connects via cable. Apple made that choice to reduce weight and improve comfort.
Mark Gurman
Mark goes on to say that the Reality Pro will feature two ports: the new charger port and a USB-C connector for data transfer if needed. Gurman explains that the new charging cable will have a round, Mag-Safe-esque tip that rotates to lock into the device.
This locking feature should protect the Reality Pro’s port and even the cable from being ripped out if the external battery pack falls or gets removed.
Gurman goes on to describe the external battery pack’s design:
The pack, which should power the headset for about two hours, looks like Apple’s iPhone MagSafe battery pack. It’s about the size of an iPhone but thicker. The pack is designed to be charged via USB-C and will be powered up using the same adapter included with the MacBook Pro.
Mark Gurman
Sheeeeesh. A two hour battery life is kinda rough, but when you consider the tech that the Reality Pro is packing a short battery life is to be expected. Gurman tells us that the battery pack can be charged with the same power adapter used with the current generation MacBook Pro… but I wonder if the headset supports use while being charged? I guess we’ll see.
Speculation says that Apple will instead leverage the use of multiple battery packs that can be swapped for use while the depleted one is charging, but I hate that idea. So clunky.
We’re still expecting to finally see the Reality Pro at WWDC in June; however, the current rumor mill is churning that we should anticipate a delayed release.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what thousands and thousands of dollars gets you in Apple’s upcoming AR/VR venture, assuming you don’t want to wait for the cheaper one!
