Apple’s ‘Most Impressive Hardware Rollout’ Is Coming Next Year

Apple Concepts for 2020 Credit: CiP / iDrop News / PH Concepts
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Next year is shaping up to be a massive one for Apple, with major upgrades and releases planned for the iPhone, Mac and augmented reality spheres.

After several relatively minor product cycles, Apple is preparing to unleash “its most impressive hardware rollout in some time,” according to Bloomberg. Here’s what you should know.

Apple AR Glasses

Apple has reportedly targeted 2020 as a release date for its first head-worn augmented reality device, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported.

That AR headset is rumored to be a device that will wirelessly pair with an iPhone to display information in a user’s field of view. That could include data like messages, emails, and maps or directions and more.

In this current form, it’s looking likely that the AR headset won’t be a standalone device with its own cellular connectivity (at least in its first iteration). Instead, it’ll be more like a companion to an iPhone.

Despite that, Bloomberg did add that Apple is considering debuting an AR headset-specific App Store.

Rumors about an Apple AR headset are numerous and code strings recently spotted in iOS 13 pretty much confirmed that Apple is in the late stages of developing such a product.

Previously, well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecast that Apple would collaborate with a “third-party brand” to release the headset in mid-2020.

All-New iPhones for 2020

As we’ve previously covered, 2020 will also be a major year for the iPhone with a slew of significant upgrades planned for the next-generation handset.

The 2020 iPhones, which are all expected to sport OLED displays, will come in new sizes: 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch.

That includes the planned addition of 5G support, which is coming a bit later than some Android handsets, but probably right on time when you take the actual availability of 5G networks into account.

They’ll also include a new 3D time-of-flight camera that will use lasers to more accurately map environments. That will have significant impact on both photography and augmented reality capabilities.

The use of a ToF system to boost AR experiences, combined with the debut of Apple AR glasses, will likely make AR a significant technology for 2020.

Apple Watch and Mac Upgrades

In addition to new iPhones and an AR headset, Apple is also going to make some major updates to its Mac and Apple Watch lineup, Bloomberg adds.

The Apple Watch, for example, will likely include sleep tracking capabilities. While that itself is a major new feature, it also hints that Apple is going to significantly increase the battery life of its flagship wearable to make sleep tracking feasible.

There may also be new Mac products that run on custom, Apple-produced processors for the first time. If we take past reports into consideration, those Apple Mac chips will presumably be ARM-based.

That will allow Apple to more tightly integrate its Mac hardware and software, and could increase the battery life of its Mac notebooks.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]

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