The Apple mixed reality headset has been buzzing around the rumor mill for months and is set to premiere at the company’s annual developer conference in June. Supposedly, development on the AR/VR headset has been going on since 2015. It was due to be presented in June 2022, before the date was pushed back to January of this year and then again to spring. The expectations for the date in June are correspondingly low.
Of course, all of this information comes from unconfirmed rumors. Only Apple itself knows whether the plans described actually existed internally in Cupertino. The last delay is due to hardware and software problems that Apple still has to iron out. The decision to postpone it was reportedly made earlier this month. If the announcement will be at Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, it should take at least until autumn before the headset is available. Today’s report also warns that “timing could always change again”. On the other hand, Apple intents “on bringing the device to market by the end of 2023 if possible”.
Apple Mixed Reality Headset the next big thing?
The mixed reality headset will be Apple’s “next big initiative,” according to the report. Or in other words, the next category of products to monetize and reduce reliance on iPhone sales. Apple iPhones currently account for more than 50% of sales. Therefore time will tell whether Apple will be the first manufacturer to make headsets a mainstream product. However, the Californians have a track record of innovation. New products usually work both technically and in terms of usability. On the other hand, Apple is apparently planning to call around 3,000 US dollars for its headset, which means that its niche existence is almost inevitable.
Nevertheless, the Apple headset could be the next big thing in a year, which according to reports so far will not bring any revolutionary changes. Neither on the Apple Watch, nor on the AirPods or iPads. The headset reportedly packs a “Mac-quality” M2 chipset, dual 4K VR displays, and “an extensive array of cameras” for augmented reality. xrOS (“Xtended Reality”) is the operating system.
