Phone-powered virtual reality headsets like Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Daydream View have been available for years, but we have yet to see the same concept done for augmented reality.
The Mira Prism is a pair of AR glasses that operate straight from an iPhone and are available for $99 at retail. To use the device, you simply slot your phone into the Mira Prism and bring up the accompanying app that works with the hardware to project digital elements into reality. In other words, it’s like a cheaper and more basic version of the HoloLens.
Offering up to a 60-degree field of view, the plastic glasses are lightweight and subdued. The Prism has the same resolution as an iPhone screen (1,334 x 750 pixels) and comes with a small remote that has a touchpad on top to interact with your AR world.
At the moment, the Mira Prism is only compatible with the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6S, and the iPhone 7. Other devices can access the Prism via a Spectator mode that displays the AR elements through the camera on an iPhone or iPad.
“Dev Kits” will begin shipping in the fall, with the “Consumer Version” expected to ship in time for the holiday season 2017. The plan behind it is that developers and coders can start working on AR content and apps in time for the Mira Prism to be slated as a Christmas gift. With the arrival of iOS 11 and its ARKit augmented reality tools for developers, it’s expected that the Mira Prism will get the boost it needs and a host of demos will tap into the AR headset.
The Mira Prism can be pre-ordered online for $99, with a suggested retail price listed as $149, making it the cheapest way into AR yet.
Via New Atlas
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