The Apple rumor mill turns up right at the beginning of the year: Apple is planning to bring its first augmented reality device onto the market this year, expects the usually well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, but details about the hardware are for the time being not leaked. Most recently it was said that Apple was working on both an AR / VR headset and classic glasses with AR functions, the introduction of which is probably still a long way off.

AirTags and mini-LED devices Kuo also expects Apple to launch the AirTags key finder 2021 on the market. Observers assume that the AirTags rely on both Bluetooth and ultra-broadband radio and are in a simple, small button housing, Apple could offer accessories such as key rings.

Likewise 2021 the first Apple devices with mini-LED screens are on the horizon, both MacBooks and iPad Pro could rely on the technology enable the playback of high-contrast HDR content. The analyst had previously forecast that Apple would introduce a new 14 “MacBook Pro with mini-LED display and in-house chip. Also a new 16 “MacBook Pro and an iMac with Apple Silicon should be on the program.

iPhone 13 with lidar throughout Suppliers assume that Apple will use lidar sensors for all model series of the iPhone 13. So far, these can only be found in the Pro models and the iPad Pro 100. Lidar allows a three-dimensional recording of the environment, which, for example, augmented reality apps can use. In the iPhone 12 Pro (Max), this also supports the camera’s auto focus, making it faster even in dark surroundings and ensure more reliable focus on objects or people. It can also be assumed that Apple will expand support for 5G networks in the millimeter wave range (mmWave), so far such devices have only been offered in the USA. In Germany mmWave is unlikely to play a role for the time being.

According to another report from the supply chain, Apple is also using gallium nitride transistors (GaN) interested in high-performance power supplies from 60 watts to 100 watts are intended. The manufacturer could thus introduce more compact USB-C power supplies for MacBooks, some of which are already offered by third-party manufacturers.

(lbe)