Apple Mixed Reality Headset Uses Iris Scanning for Payments, Logging In: Report

Apple’s mixed reality headset has been in the news for quite some time now. The latest report now suggests that the rumoured mixed reality (MR) headset will use iris scanning for signing in and making payments. This would work like Apple’s fingerprint feature or Face ID authentication and could allow multiple people to use one headset. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last year that the mixed reality headset could support iris recognition. The eye tracking system is said to feature a transmitter and receiver that can analyse eye movements.

As per a report by The Information, Apple’s virtual and augmented reality headset will use iris scanning to authenticate payments and log users into their accounts. The iris recognition technology will make it easier for multiple people to use the same device and allow them to quickly make payments from inside the headset, just as iPhone models allow people to confirm payments using scans of their fingerprint or face, the report adds citing two employees.

The eye-scanning system could work similar to Apple’s fingerprint or Face ID functionality. If the report turns out to be correct, then the presence of the new eye-scanning system would be an advantage over Meta’s just-announced Quest Pro headset.

Apple will reportedly use the headset’s cameras for iris scanning. The upcoming device could be made from mesh fabrics, aluminium, and glass, and is said to have a goggle-like design. Apple’s headset will be reportedly lighter than the Quest Pro. Further, the report claims that the headset allows prescription lenses to be magnetically attached inside the headset.

Last year, analysts Ming-Chi Kuo also claimed that Apple’s mixed reality headset will come with an advanced eye tracking system that has a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver judges the eyeball movement based on the change while the transmitting end provides different wavelengths of invisible light, as per Kuo. This would allow for a more intuitive way to use Apple Pay, he added.

Apple’s mixed reality headset has been in the news a lot lately. The device is expected to launch early in 2023. The Cupertino-based company is said to use its M2 processor with 16GB of memory for the mixed reality headset. It could allow users to view certain invisible things. Users might be able to see gas leaks and Wi-Fi signals through the device.