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Comment by ianbutler | Hacker News Reader

This makes me want to try and prototype something I've been thinking about for a while.

Keep the lens and display assembly + tracking cameras on headset but power and computing is USB-C to an android device.

So same concept software wise as the Go but not strapping a phone to your face.

With pancake lens and all I think you'd get a very thin and light headset with the same computing power as a Quest 2 with a better profile and something people might actually be comfortable wearing for many hours.

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Not to mention upgradeability from a graphics perspective. If your phone is the processing unit , this would also mean software that's almost always up to date. I hate that I get hit with an update about half the time that I put the headset on.

This issue with going this route is that smart phones are about to lose a physical connection port. At least the Apple ones will be first, but more will follow.

Magic Leap has a "compute puck" like this. Apple's headset was also rumored to tether to iPhones. I'm not sure what the most current rumor is.

The current rumor with the Apple headset is that it will be standalone and Apple will sell it at cost at $3000. It will run on an M chip though so they can justify it. No controllers needed.

Supposedly, Ive’s last decision was to kill the puck or hub which is why Apple’s headset is shipping so late, but the new rumors dispute that

Problem you run into is that the screens need a pretty fair amount of power and phones just can't deliver it. USB-C can't deliver it either.

Phones may not be able to deliver it, but isn't usb c spec for power delivery over 200 W? You'd go blind if a head mounted display used that much power.

Doesn't USB-C drive the 5120 x 2560 Apple screens? I mean, there must be a capable variant of USB 3.whatever standard, and a compatible cable. Maybe some phones already feature it (iPhones should, shouldn't they?), and, if it's a worthy thing, more phone makers will feature it.

Like the Nreal Air?

And put that where, in your pocket? You know how hot phones get when generating high-res, high-refresh-rate 3D graphics?

Hold it in your mouth

clip it to a belt

Which is the approach Apple is rumoured to be taking:

"A waist-mounted battery, connected via a magnetic, MagSafe-like power cable to the headset's headband"

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/01/03/report-reveals-wave-of-...

Exactly, like an AV pack

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