Apple will release the Vision Pro extended reality (XR) headset next year, starting at $3,499. In addition to this, the device should also have various accessories.
Apple has filed a new patent that describes a small, portable object that goes with the Vision Pro, but there are mixed opinions about its capabilities and uses.
The patent calls the object a “digital stone” or “go stone” that could be used in an extended reality system. It allows virtual objects in an XR environment to survive in the real world after Vision Pro is turned off, allowing users to carry XR content to the physical world through this object and revisit it later using the same or a different XR system. For example, the patent said, this object could be associated with virtual objects such as digital photos, documents, applications or digital currency. It sounds like a user could save a virtual photo album to a digital stone, then give the digital stone to someone else so they can access the virtual photo album in Vision Pro.
Some people think that the object sounds a bit like Apple’s AirTag tracker, and Apple is also rumored to be developing a second-generation AirTag that can be integrated with the Vision Pro. But others have questioned whether the object is actually the most practical way to transfer or store XR content.
The patent also mentions a more complex device that may have a built-in camera and various sensors such as touch, heart rate, temperature, lidar, radar, sonar, GPS, etc., and provide haptic feedback. It sounds more like a handle that can be used to manipulate objects in an XR environment, similar to the gloves used in some VR systems.
It’s unclear whether this patent will be one of the accessories for next year’s Vision Pro. It’s also possible that this is just Apple’s vision for the future, or just to protect its own ideas. There are many Apple patents in the past that have not been realized.
