While we know very little about it, Apple’s augmented reality / mixed reality headset continues to generate a lot of ink. While many expected to learn more about it during WWDC, that ultimately didn’t happen, suggesting that its release has been pushed back according to famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Major absent from the keynote
It was the great absent from the keynote. While Apple has unveiled its upcoming operating systems iOS 16, iPad OS 16, macOS Ventura, as well as the upcoming arrival of its M2 chip in MacBooks, no word has been said about a possible reality headset. augmented or mixed, nor of its operating system which should be called realityOS.
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However, several features presented at WWDC 2022 suggest the arrival of such a device. For example, Visual Look Up, which lets you crop photos to transpose the element elsewhere, and Live Text, which recognizes text in images on iOS and will now extend to video, are tools that could seamlessly integrate with a mixed or augmented reality headset.
Finally, Ming-Chi Kuo’s previous predictions were correct. The Apple specialist has indeed declared that the presentation of the device would not take place during the keynote and would be postponed. Indeed, he noted that the helmet had not yet entered the mass production phase, which cast doubt on its possible presentation. This can potentially be explained by the complications encountered by the teams of technicians working on the device.
More and more tools in Apple’s operating systems use augmented reality. Photography: Patrick Schneider / Unsplash
Apple would plan a release for the second quarter of 2023
Now, the analyst has spoken on Twitter and cited in particular the health situation in China, where very strict confinement has been put in place, which may also have played a role in the delay taken by the apple brand. Many factories have had to shut down or operate at idle, leading to disruptions in the global supply chain.
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I believe Apple’s AR/MR headset shipping date will postpone to 2Q23 (vs. 1Q23 of market consensus) because Shanghai lockdown interrupts the development. As expected, there were no clues for AR/MR headset at WWDC 2022. Here is my prediction for Apple AR/MR headset schedule.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 7, 2022
Ming-Chi Kuo therefore predicted that instead of releasing in the first quarter of 2023, Apple’s headphones should finally be released in the second quarter of next year, that is to say in about a year. Please note that the analyst’s predictions, although they agree with those of other market experts, are not to be taken literally; many changes can still take place, especially when you know the discretion of the Cupertino company when talking about its new products.
So Kuo gave a new timeline of events that he says will precede the release of Apple’s headphones:
- Third quarter 2022: Technical verification test of the device
- January 2023: event organized by Apple to present the product
- End of February 2023: toolkit sent to developers
- Second quarter of 2023 (March to May): Start of pre-orders
- Release before WWDC 2023, which should be held in early June
What do we know about the future helmet?
If we still don’t know much about the device, some names have been mentioned, such as Apple Vision or Apple Reality. As specified Gizmodohe would have a innovative three-screen setup which combines two 4K OLED micro displays with at least six optical modules to provide “ augmented reality services with continuous video vision “.
It is further said to have M1 Pro level power and could be equipped with 14 built-in cameras for advanced tracking. All this technology should result in a high asking price which is currently set at $3,000.
As a reminder, augmented reality is considered a technology of the future with very high potential. Helmets or augmented reality glasses should indeed eventually replace smartphones.