Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset will boast a magnetic port for attaching the battery pack to the device. Gurman says the battery life for the device will be somewhere around two hours. The headset will have two ports, says Gurman, including a USB-C interface for data transfer and a new proprietary charging connector for the external battery
In Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman says the headset will sport an external battery pack with a cable permanently connected to it. The cable will have a proprietary connector on one end that attaches to the headset itself.
That connector will apparently be magnetic in nature, but it will be firmly connected so it doesn’t fall out while in motion. Round-tipped, the cable connector will lock into the port by the user turning it.
Apple has been working to avoid weight issues when users are wearing the headset, and an external battery pack would certainly allow the headset to weigh less, reducing uncomfortable pressure on the user’s face.
The headset’s battery packs are said to be the same size as a MagSafe Battery Pack and will last up to 2 hours per pack.
The battery pack feature was reportedly a topic of heated discussion for Apple internally, especially since the company has a preference for cordless design.
A USB-C connection will be available, which will be used for data rather than for power. However, the battery packs will also include USB-C, for recharging, using the same adapter included with a MacBook Pro.
Apple’s headset is rumored to be called “Reality One” or “Reality Pro” and is expected to debut at WWDC in June, along with xrOS, Apple’s new mixed-reality operating system.
