According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it is “likely” that Apple will launch its long-rumored mixed-reality headset as early as January 2023.
In a detailed post in Medium, Kuo explained that Apple’s headphones will be a “game changer” for the augmented reality and virtual reality market. Describing some of the features of the headphones, Kuo said that while Apple has repeatedly highlighted its focus on AR, the headphones “will offer an excellent immersive experience” and a “video viewing” mode. Headphones are expected to increase the demand for immersive gaming and multimedia entertainment experiences.
Kuo said the device is “the most complicated product Apple has ever designed,” which led Apple to use components from many of its existing vendors. Kuo also believes Apple will be an industry leader in the headset space, has “significant competitive advantages” and doesn’t need to join the Metaverse Standards Forum. In particular, Kuo thinks rivals will bet on mimicking Apple headphones once they launch, “taking the headset hardware industry to the next stage of rapid growth.”
While it was widely believed that the launch of Apple’s headphones was scheduled for this year, a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman questioned the chances of the device emerging this year due to development issues. According to DigiTimes, Apple in February 2022 completed key production tests of the headphones and is said to plan to start mass production around August or September. Therefore, Kuo’s prediction of the January 2023 lunch appears to be in line with other rumors.
Regardless of the exact time, it is believed that Apple’s headset project is “approaching takeoff,” and the device reflects the development timeline of the Apple Watch in the period prior to its launch. Apple’s work on the headset’s operating system, “realityOS,” has been rumored since 2017, but the existence of the operating system was confirmed when references were found to the App Store’s load logs and source code. open Apple.
The headphones are rumored to include a lightweight design, two 4K micro-OLED screens, 15 optical modules, two main processors, 6E Wi-Fi connectivity, eye tracking, object tracking and manual gesture controls and more. The approximate price of the device is still unclear, but some reports indicate it could cost about $ 3,000.