Jony Ive, Jeff Williams and others. Who for many years was responsible for the development of the first AR helmet from Apple

Authoritative journalist Mark Gurman from Bloomberg told who from the management is responsible for the creation and release of the first AR / MR helmet from Apple.

Over the past 7 years, thousands of employees have worked on the headset. But among them there are key ones who were involved in the development from beginning to end.

🔺 Mike Rockwell: Responsible for and leading product development since around 2016. He helped create the concept for the headset and the technology development team itself, and oversees the creation of the helmet itself, from hardware and software to services.

Mike Rockwell

While there was skepticism that the device would be a hit, some are optimistic simply because of Rockwell’s involvement. Mike will be one of the main people promoting the helmet at the presentation.

🔺 Jeff WilliamsA: Apple’s COO has been the driving force behind the development of the headset over the past few years. He is often seen as Cook’s heir apparent and the current CEO has relied on Williams to make the product a success.

Jeff Williams

He is responsible for Apple’s design team, including the Human Interface group, which conceptualized many of the device’s use cases and overall vision. His group is also responsible for the production of the hardware itself, which is internally known as “the most sophisticated product Apple has ever created.”

🔺 Dan Riccio: Rockwell’s boss and liaison between the technology development team and Apple’s top executives.

Dan Riccio

He has worked exclusively on the headset for the past two years, after being Apple’s head of hardware development. He is likely to retire shortly after the headset’s release, and some development contributors feel that Riccio sees it as a legacy-defining product.

Previously, he curated two other products, a TV and a car. They were either canceled or postponed.

🔺 Paul Mead: is engaged in the creation of equipment for the helmet. He was one of the lead iPhone hardware managers until 2017. It was then that he shifted his focus to the headset, tasked with turning the device into a product that Apple could actually deliver.

Prior to Apple, he led hardware development for the Sidekick and Microsoft’s Kin line of phones.

🔺 Greg Jozwiak: The company’s chief marketing officer and one of the most vocal helmet advocates on Apple’s executive team. The company is counting on it to tell consumers why they need a $3,000 device powered by nascent technology.

Greg Jozwiak

He is unlikely to advertise the metaverse. “Jose,” as he’s known at Apple, said he “would never use” the term.

🔺 Phil Schiller: Jozwiak’s longtime boss, not as involved in future product development as he used to be, but he’s in charge of product launches.

Phil Schiller

This will be the first time the world actually sees a helmet, so the stakes are high. Schiller, known for having a racing VR rig at home, insisted the device had a strong gaming component, especially through third-party apps.

🔺 Frank Casanova: Head of Headset Marketing. He previously held these duties while working on augmented reality, when the feature was tied exclusively to the iPhone.

🔺 Kim Forrat: Engaged in the headset project to help bring the device to market.

Kim Forrath, right

She is the lead engineering program manager for the project. That is, he is responsible for ensuring that the team meets deadlines, as well as for quality control.

🔺 Jeff Norris: One of the original contributors to the project, joining in 2017 from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to help develop a “killer app” for the device.

Jeff Norris

Prior to Apple, Norris used virtual reality to control spacecraft. He considers virtual video conferencing, meditation and telecommuting to be key advantages of the device.

🔺 Johnny Srugi: Apple’s chief executive officer in charge of the M2 processor and other non-standard components inside the headset.

Johnny Srugi

He argued that Apple’s resources would be better spent on new iPhone chips that could generate more revenue than a headset. After all, Sruja’s team created some of the most advanced chips to date for the headset.

🔺 Shannon Gans: Responsible for mixed reality content for the device. She has led an animation and virtual reality content studio for 20 years and now leads a team of VR content experts.

Hans is responsible for making sure the device has enough content at launch and is working with existing Apple TV+ partners, Walt Disney Co. and Dolby Laboratories Inc.

🔺 Jeff Stahl: responsible for most of the software that will run on the headset, including the new xrOS operating system. Participates in the development of applications and the game engine for the helmet.

🔺 Jony Ive: participated in the project from the very beginning, but only for the first time. He pushed the company to avoid the isolation structures that are used in existing virtual reality headsets.

Jony Ive

It also promoted a portable design and an outward-facing display that would allow the user’s eyes to be seen. Ive wanted a smooth transition between virtual and augmented reality.

About a year ago, his contract with Apple expired. [Bloomberg]