I’ve had an hour of time today on the Gear VR at that swank new Samsung showcase in NYC. Details of that will be a post tomorrow.
It’s with some sense of irony I’m typing this on an iMac at an Apple Store.
The issue of screen resolution nagged at me after my Gear VR time. I really think we need 4K screens for Mobile VR.
That got me to thinking about the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium phone, with its 4K screen.
It’s had a very limited release.
Some of that people will chalk up to Sony being hesitant because they haven’t done well with phones so far and the Premium would probably be their most expensive beast.
I think the real reason why Sony isn’t going to ship it large is because Apple has bought up their 4K screen production.
Apple wouldn’t settle for current phone screen resolutions for VR. As it is, they’d lose with the screen resolution of the current iPhones. And I don’t see them boosting iPhone resolution any time soon.
But VR is a different beast.
It needs that 4K screen.
So that’s what Apple would want for its own VR headset.
And it wouldn’t be Mobile VR at all. Not really. But it would be untethered.
Except … for iTunes.
Everyone will have a whole new reason to hate iTunes. Because to use that Apple VR headset I believe is coming this year, it’ll have to sync it with iTunes to get the VR “content” — be it a story, a game, or whatever.
Apple would fit in between the Mobile VR Samsung is pushing with the Gear VR and that Google is pushing with Cardboard, and the tethered type of VR being pushed by Oculus and HTC. It’d be a headset with its own CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage, that would let someone walk or stand or sit to watch VR. With a 4K screen.
Price? I think somewhere between $399-$699, depending on storage capacity (like iPads are priced).
Headphones? You go buy their Beats Bluetooth set.
BAM!
They get you on the visual and aural side of VR.
KA-CHING! for Apple.
No one else has speculated this. But I expect leaks indicating this to happen by mid-year.
Just remember that all of you read it here first.
Mike Cane's Atomic Supermen 
It could be in the 5K range, given the iPad Pro is already showing that Apple can deal with that resolution (the Pro is 2732 x 2048).
Yes, but I don’t know of any small screens at that res. The Sony 4K screen exists and Sony would welcome all of that Apple money.