Dan Riccio, Apple's former hardware boss, has been reportedly tasked with helping lead the charge on the company's augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) gadgets. He recently started a "new chapter" at Apple and now leads an unspecified "new project".
"I’m looking forward to focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about," Apple's press release quotes him as saying. Bloomberg has it that Riccio is now focused on Apple’s AR/VR headsets.
Riccio’s Importance to Apple
This high-profile executive has been with Apple for more than two decades. Riccio worked on hit projects such as the original iMac, the iPhone 12 lineup, and the new M1 Macs. As such, he makes the perfect choice to accelerate Apple's AR/VR efforts.
Some people have said that the reshuffling of Apple's hardware engineering organization is a strong indication that Riccio could be talking over Project Titan, an internal code-name for the mythical Apple Car project. That's almost certainly not the case here because the Apple Car is widely considered to be at least half a decade away from releasing.
Although the Apple Car in its current stage probably doesn't need Riccio's undivided attention, he does appear to be a great asset in terms of Apple's AR/VR strategy.
Apple's AR/VR strategy
Apple is thought to be working on a pricey, powerful mixed-reality headset for a potential release in 2021. It should arrive ahead of the more affordable AR glasses for the masses, said to launch in 2022. Sources describe the headset as an expensive, niche accessory powered by Apple's custom chip that's faster than the M1 silicon found in the new Macs.
Other rumored specifications are said to include dual 8K displays and a bunch of onboard cameras for precise eye and hand tracking. The device may cost about $3,000, which is comparable to Microsoft's HoloLens. It's described as a niche accessory that Apple will probably sell primarily to developers so they could build AR/VR apps for the device.