Apple has a big launch coming up in the next few months. For the first time in a while, the company is entering a new category — Virtual reality. The company will launch its first mixed-reality headset in 2023, likely at WWDC. While a lot of the potential feature inclusions have been leaked already, there’s now some new information about the hardware.
This time, it’s about the ports we can expect on the Apple VR headset. According to Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter (opens in new tab), the Apple VR headset will come with two ports — a USB-C port for data transfer and a magnetic port for the battery pack attachment, which will take cues from MagSafe.
Apple taking the dual-port approach with VR headset
Apple isn’t a stranger to the dual port approach, so this isn’t surprising information. We’ve seen the company keep MagSafe for charging on MacBooks and iPhone, while keeping the data port as it is. Even on iPads, you get a pogo-pin backed Smart Connector for keyboards, while the data port stays separate. Apple is taking a similar approach with its upcoming mixed-reality headset, it appears.
Gurman wrote: “The headset will have two ports: a USB-C connector to handle data and a new proprietary charger. The charging cable that goes into the headset has a round tip that inserts magnetically. In order to prevent the connector from falling out during use, you rotate it clockwise to lock it in. The cable itself connects to the battery pack, and those two pieces aren’t separable. “
So it won’t quite be like the MagSafe we know, but it will likely be labeled as an iteration of the same technology. The battery pack, however, will look quite like the MagSafe battery pack you can use with the best iPhones right now.
“The pack, which should power the headset for about two hours, looks like Apple’s iPhone MagSafe battery pack. It’s about the size of an iPhone but thicker. The pack is designed to be charged via USB-C and will be powered up using the same adapter included with the MacBook Pro. Given the short battery life — likely due to the use of an M2 chip and dual 4K displays — I’d imagine Apple will offer the ability to buy extra packs.”
WWDC 2023 will be held from June 5-9, and we can expect Apple to announce this mixed-reality headset at the event, likely the keynote address.
