Apple Headset to Adopt Hybrid Fresnel Lens Design, Weigh Less Than 150 Grams [Report]

Apple plans to adopt a hybrid Fresnel lens design for its rumored mixed reality headset, aiming to keep its weight under 150 grams, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

While most virtual reality headsets use Fresnel lenses to enable ultra-short focal lengths, they typically weight 300-400 grams and are bulky. Since Apple is purportedly working on a mixed reality headset, it could have a smaller field of view, allowing for a thinner and lighter design.

Kuo says balancing the field of view, form factor, and weight is “one of the critical design issues” in designing optics for these headsets. Apple purportedly plans to use three stacked Fresnel lenses per eye.

The purpose of this design is to improve FOV and reduce weight and thickness. We believe that Apple will use a hybrid Fresnel lens design further to enhance the Fresnel lens’s optical performance (e.g., improve vignetting and optical artifacts), and each hybrid Fresnel lens comprises three stacked Fresnel lenses.

We believe that Apple’s design will achieve a better balance between HMD’s FOV and form factor.

Kuo says Apple will use lightweight plastic lenses with customized materials and coatings supplied by Young Optics with Genius Electronic Optical also contributing.

Apple is rumored to unveil this initial headset in mid-2022. Price estimates have ranged from $1000 to over $3000. The company is also working on AR glasses which could launch a few years later.

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