Apple has no secret of its interest in augmented reality, and CEO Tim Cook regularly touts the benefits of AR. There are rumors that Apple is working on AR glasses, and it's no wonder that the anticipated Apple Glasses eyewear is expected to debut around 2023.

However, Apple could jump into mixed reality even faster. Another rumor suggests that the company is working on Apple's VR headset, which can be paired with your iPhone headset to blend both virtual and mixed reality, and this headset is expected to arrive as soon as next year.

That moan you may have heard just now came from me, as I cast my mind back a few years to the last time phone makers were pushing virtual reality headgear as a necessity for their phones.

Samsung's Gear VR wasn't the only VR headset that appeared around 2016 and 2017, but it was easily accepted by many. Google built an Android-friendly headset called Daydream, and even a budget phone like Alcatel had its own VR accessories.

And I hated every one of them.

For me, the best part of a demo or test involving a VR headset with a mobile phone was the exact moment the demo or test period ended. I took off my awkward headgear and not only could I wipe away the sweat that inevitably formed where the headset was fixed to my face, but I also marked the longest point in the space-time continuum before I had to wear the VR headset again.

My relief at removing one headset comes from the existential fear of knowing that another headset is looming around the corner.

By the way, this is not that I'm the only laddite. "There was too much friction with the early phone-based VR system," agreed Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst at Techsponential. "They were painful to set up and use, and too little interactivity. They didn't do much other than show you a 360 degree video.

The good news is, if you're like me and haven't looked back lovingly at VR headsets for a few years, you don't have to look for Oculus Quest2 or more, which has been acclaimed for its comfortable wearing and building an engaging gaming library, which is a big issue with early headsets that the technology is much better now. Yes, we couldn't find the Oculus Quest2 inventory because of the lack of inventory, which is mainly related to the pandemic, but there is a reason for the high demand for this headset. "Today's self-contained VR systems, like Facebook's Oculus Quest2, make it easy to dive into VR," Greengart said.Today's self-contained VR systems, like facebook's Oculus Quest2, make it easy to dive into VR.

Put another way, there was a smartphone before the release of the iPhone and a tablet before the ipad, but it was a better barge that Apple was producing other people, and you'd have to like the company's chance to bring out that trick again in VR.

It also helps that Apple is laying the foundation for success in VR. Last year's iPad Pro added LiDAR sensors to Apple's high-end tablets - the company moved repeatedly when LiDAR moved to the iPhone12Pro and iPhone12Pro Max. Rumors suggest that the iPhone13 could introduce LiDAR across Apple's phone line-up.

LiDAR sensors mean more responsive AR and VR apps. But I also imagine that having these sensors in place on current Apple hardware will help the company and its developers build a new experience that is ready around the same time Apple's rumored headset is set to launch.

Helping in that regard is ARKit, the suite of AR/VR developer tools that Apple has included in the last few versions of its iOS software. This gives app makers the experience they need to develop AR and VR software that leverages Apple's hardware. That has already led to some interesting iPhone AR apps and games, but it will really pay off if you have a headset worth developing.

And finding the right kind of app is important to any VR headset — whether it's currently shipped or at some point in the future. "There's still work to do to improve the [headset] experience, but the bigger challenge is to understand what's worth doing when we're there," Greengart said. "A lot of companies are working on communication and corporate collaboration, and clinical trials have shown good results in medicine and pain management, but the big success in the early days has been games and exercise, and often these 2 combinations."

Apple's headsets can benefit in a different way by waiting until next year arrives. 5G networks continues to develop, and it is definitely one area that will benefit from 5G speed and low latency.1 1 VR demo that I haven't been afraid of for years was streaming immersive sports highlights.It has benefited from high-speed 5G.AND THESE SPEEDS WILL IMPROVE IN THE COMING YEARS AS APPLE'S PUSH TO VR AND AR IS EXPECTED TO GAIN MOMENTUM.

It will take a lot of time for Apple's virtual reality/mixed reality headsets to hit the market.This means more time for rumors and leaked VR rendering. But it's also Apple's time to research why early headsets have never actually taken off and figure out how to win over VR skeptics like me