---
title: "Goodbye, Cords! Apple Files Patent For (What Seems to Be) a Wireless Virtual Reality Headset"
description: "Apple has just been granted the patent on what looks like a VR headset that connects with the Iphone, ala Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard."
date: "2016-09-02"
modified: "2016-09-02"
authors:
  - name: "Jelor Gallego"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jelor-gallego"
url: "https://futurism.com/goodbye-cords-apple-files-patent-for-what-seems-to-be-a-wireless-virtual-reality-headset"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
  - "Virtual Reality"
tags:
  - "apple"
  - "virtual reality"
  - "vr headsets"
---

# Goodbye, Cords! Apple Files Patent For (What Seems to Be) a Wireless Virtual Reality Headset

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/apple-patented-VR.png>)
*\<em\>Image: United States Patent and Trademark Office\</em\>*

With Samsung, Google, and even Facebook getting into the virtual reality world, one name is notoriously absent: Apple. Why is the tech giant mum in what looks like the next tech wave?

Well, it isn't anymore. Apple was just [granted a patent](<http://uploadvr.com/apple-recieves-patent-vr-headset/>) for what looks like virtual reality (VR) googles that connect to the iPhone. The device would have built-in headphones, custom lenses, and connect to the iPhone via lightening cable.

![undefined](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Screen-Shot-2016-09-01-at-5.50.37-PM.png>)
*Apple/US Patent and Trademark Office*

But VR junkies shouldn't get their hopes up *too* high: no where in the patent application are the words "virtual reality." In fact, the title of the patent is "[Head-Mounted Display Apparatus For Retaining A Portable Device With Display.](<http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=09429759&SectionNum=1&IDKey=C29FBF3EC37C&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-adv.htm%2526r=1%2526p=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526d=PTXT%2526S1=9429759.PN.%2526OS=PN/9429759%2526RS=PN/9429759>)"

But it does look eerily similar to Samsung Gear VR, and they share a common characteristic: a physical connection between the phone and the device. In fact, it looks like this was the key thing Apple was trying to protect in filing the patent.

While not all things filed in the patent office become real products, this does jive with Apple's plans, having assembled on[ its own team](<http://www.techinsider.io/apple-has-hundreds-of-people-working-on-virtual-and-augmented-reality-headsets-2016-1>) that's working on VR.