Apple's AR/VR Headset May Be Here By The End Of 2023
Nearly all the tech giants want to be the biggest contender in the headset scene, developing their own hybrid augmented reality and virtual reality devices. One of the biggest giants of them all, Apple, has been toiling for years on the concept, and if a new report is to be believed, its headset may be out of the gate by the end of the year.
According to an industry analyst memo obtained by MacRumors, not only is Apple expected to formally reveal its new AR/VR headset at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, but full-scale manufacturing will start in October of this year too. Apple should have its initial stock of the devices assembled and ready to ship just in time for the winter holidays. If this report proves to be true, then this may very well make Apple the AR/VR boss to beat come this December, giving it a distinct advantage over all current and potential competitors during one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year.
Manufacturing estimates, new features
According to the memo, which was penned by Morgan Stanley's resident Apple analyst Erik Woodring, the initial production line will only number in the range of 300,000 to 500,000. It's a fairly limited starter run, and each individual headset is estimated to cost around $3,000 USD, though even with that high price tag, Apple is only projected to break even rather than profit, according to the memo. The memo does not specify or speculate as to why Apple is going for this more conservative approach.
Alongside the reveal of the headset itself, Woodring's memo claims that Apple is also planning on releasing a standalone App Store for AR and VR apps to run on the device. Additionally, Apple is allegedly planning on releasing developer tools for the headset so independent programmers can create, publish, and manage their own apps on the App Store.
As a reminder, Apple's WWDC presentation is currently scheduled for Monday, June 5, at 10:00 AM Pacific time. Besides the headset, Apple is also rumored to be unveiling a new version of the MacBook Air. Theories have also begun circulating that the tech giant is planning new, higher-end versions of its M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, possibly for use in professional-grade Mac Studio desktops.