The 5 Ways Apple Could Put a Unique Spin on VR – CNET [CNET]

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Apple could change the conversation around VR headsets by leaning into a few speciality areas — and designing beyond the hardware.

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Bridget Carey Principal Video Producer

Bridget Carey is an on-camera reporter who helps you level up your life — while having a good time geeking out. Her exclusive CNET videos get you behind the scenes, so you can see new trends, experiences and quirky gadgets. Bridget Tries is her video series, in which she explores our changing world by getting up close with today’s oddities before they become tomorrow’s normal. She started as a writer with a syndicated newspaper column and has been a technology journalist for over 15 years. Now she’s a mom who stays on top of toy world trends and robots. (Kids love robots.)

It’s expected that Apple will reveal a new product this June: a mixed reality headset that incorporates VR and AR. Reports suggest it could cost around $3,000 — and Apple will need to show the world why wearing this tech on your head is worth that cost.

The headset is said to have been in the works for seven years. If Tim Cook finally shows it off on stage June 5 at WWDC, the company’s developer’s conference, it’s possible Apple will present a long list of the uses and features. Bloomberg reported this week Apple will take a scattershot approach to pitching the headset, as more options may lead to more people interested.

The Bloomberg report includes some potential VR features that are easy to poke fun at for sounding useless. (Reading books in VR? No thank you.) But in this week’s episode of One More Thing, I wanted to explore the potential areas where Apple could flip the conversation around how we would use VR and AR.

In the video embedded above, I take you through five areas I think Apple can shine to create experiences that go beyond what’s available now, specifically in mental wellness, fitness, gaming, sports and realistic avatars for FaceTime.