It’s no longer a secret: Apple is preparing the launch of its first augmented reality and virtual reality headset. However, until now it is not known when this new product from the Cupertino company could be presented. While we were expecting a release in 2022, the helmet did not finally arrive. And now we think the Apple headset should be presented and then marketed this year.
And according to a recent publication by analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the presentation will not take place this January (as some might have hoped). “Apple’s AR/MR headset development is behind schedule due to issues with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools”, says the analyst. As a result, mass shipment of the Apple headset would be postponed from Q1 2023 to Q2 or Q3 2023.
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Apple’s AR/MR headset development is behind schedule due to issues with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools, meaning that mass shipment of this device may postpone from the original 2Q23 to the end of 2Q23 or 3Q23. https://t.co/YitWBWxbRI— Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) January 6, 2023
According to Kuo, it is increasingly unlikely that an event will be organized by Apple this January for its AR/VR headset. And it would be more likely that the product will be presented during a special event in the month of spring, or during the annual conference WWDC 2023. This should take place in the month of June. And if WWDC is above all an event dedicated to software (presentation of new versions of iOS and macOS), Apple could, once again, have some surprises in store for us. Sources also suggest that Apple could present its new Mac Pro during the WWDC conference.
A very important launch
In any case, this will be a very important product launch for Apple. Its CEO, Tim Cook, has never hidden his enthusiasm for augmented reality. And augmented reality products could also secure the firm’s long-term future. Indeed, some predictions indicate that within a few years, augmented reality glasses will replace smartphones.
It is for this reason that, despite criticism and an unfavorable macroeconomic context, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg’s company, continues to invest several billion dollars a year to develop the metaverse, as well as its future augmented reality headsets.
“While I expect phones to remain our primary devices for most of this decade, at some point in the 2020s we will have game-changing augmented reality glasses that redefine our relationship with technology”, wrote Mark Zuckerberg in 2020.
By: Keleops AG