Apple's mixed reality headset to include iris scanning for payments, logging in: report
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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is widely expected to unveil a mixed-reality headset, perhaps as soon as next year, as the company looks to expand its product offerings. And the oft-rumored product may include an iris scanning feature for payments and logging in, according to The Information.
The news outlet, citing two people who helped develop the headset, noted the biometric feature would let people quickly log into their accounts and allow for multiple people to wear the same headset, making it easy to switch accounts.
The people added that the iris scanning feature would allow people to make payments inside the headset, similar to how Face ID or Touch ID works on other Apple (AAPL) devices, such as iPhones and iPads.
In addition, The Information also noted the new Apple (AAPL) headset will be technologically very different from the recently unveiled Quest Pro from Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META).
It will have 14 cameras instead of the 10 on the Quest Pro, with the additional cameras used to better capture body movements and create more accurate digital avatars. The headset will include two downward-facing cameras focused on a person's legs, something the Quest Pro does not have.
There will also be differences in aesthetics, as the new Apple (AAPL) offering is said to look like ski goggles, compared to the black Quest Pro offering. The new Apple (AAPL) headset will incorporate mesh fabrics, aluminum and glass into its design and will conceal its outward-facing cameras.
It is expected that the new headset will be thinner and lighter than the Quest Pro from Meta Platforms (META), which weighs 722 grams.
The new Apple (AAPL) mixed-reality headset will also offer a feature for people who wear glasses and have them magnetically clip on customized prescription lenses inside the headset, the people added.
Pricing of the headset is still unclear, but it could be as high as $3,000, compared to $1,499 for the Quest Pro.
In August, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the new headset would be Apple's (AAPL) "next revolutionary consumer electronics product" and could be priced around $2,500.