A lot is riding on the long-rumored Apple VR/AR headset with the Meta Quest Pro now out in the world. According to a new study (opens in a new tab) it might be distinguished from the rest with one very intriguing feature: biometric authentication powered by an iris scanner.
The Informations sources claim to have helped develop the headset, and note that the iris scanner is designed so that users can log into their personal account by installing the headset on. This should make it significantly more convenient in instances where multiple users are sharing a single headset.
This new biometric system, like Face ID and Touch ID, might enable users to authenticate payments quickly and easily. No entering passcodes or fiddling about with a separate controller, but a quick simple scan to ensure your children aren''t trying to get themselves more Robux when youre not looking.
This is not the first time we have heard this rumor. Back in March of 2021, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested iris scanning might come to the headset alongside sensors that can track eye movement. But it was only discovered this time.
It makes perfect sense that Apple would include biometric security in its much-rumored VR/AR headset. It''s seem like something from a science fiction novel, but it''s once true about fingerprint and facial scanning technology. And it''s perfect to include sensors that provide visual recognition as well.
And the Apple headset would, as its counterparts, store any and all biometric information on the device itself, most likely with a version of Apple''s Secure Enclave. That way your biometric data isn''t at risk if either the device or Apples servers are compromised in some way.
What Apple might call this technology is another topic. Iris ID is the obvious, because Eye ID is a bit of a mouthful. However, I am hopeful that Eye-D will defeat rival suggestions.
According to The Information, the Iris scanner is connected to a huge number of cameras and sensors that are expected to be coming to the Apple VR/AR headset. Previous reports suggest the device may include 15 cameras that will track full-body movement. This includes two downward-pointing cameras for your legs.
The Meta Quest Pro does not have this last feature, and it may be helpful to explain why Facebook has struggled to integrate its legs into its own Metaverse app Horizon Worlds.
Wearers of glasses are likely to benefit from the Apple headset, which includes the possibility of attaching prescription lenses onto the interior. This is in such a way that it won''t be affected by Iris scanning or eye tracking capabilities.
Apple has maintained its grip on the VR/AR headset, and we haven''t found any other information on what the device might do, nor when it will, however, be touted. So far, the greatest we have ever discovered is that it will arrive sometime in 2023.
Heres hoping it will be released earlier in the year rather than later, and will provide you all of the most powerful news and rumors as and when they are heard.