Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is “likely” to announce its much-anticipated mixed-reality headset as soon as January 2023.
Kuo discussed Apple’s mixed-reality headset in a Medium post. Kuo says the headset will be a “game-changer” for the augmented-reality and virtual-reality market.
Although Apple has repeatedly reiterated its focus on AR, I believe Apple AR/MR supporting video see-thru could also offer an excellent immersive experience. Therefore, the launch of Apple AR/MR will further boost the demand for immersive gaming/multimedia entertainment.
Kuo said the headset is “the most complicated product Apple has ever designed,” leading Apple to use components from many of its existing suppliers. He also believes that Apple has significant competitive advantages, and will become a leader in the space.
Kuo thinks that rivals will race to imitate Apple’s headset once it launches, “leading the headset hardware industry to the next stage of rapid growth.”
Apple had been widely expected to debut the headset in 2022, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently cast doubt on that timeframe, due to development issues. DigiTimes has reported Apple completed key production tests back in February and has plans to begin mass production in August or September.
Apple has not officially confirmed its work on an AR/VR wearable device, even though we’ve seen rumors circling the rumors bowl for years now.
The headset is rumored to boast two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, processors as powerful as the M-series chips, eye-tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, and more.
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for an interview with China Daily, where he once again commented on the future of augmented reality and laid a hint down about Apple’s work on an AR/VR headset.
Cook said that he is “incredibly excited” about augmented reality, and he went on to say that people should “stay tuned” to see what Apple has to offer.
(Via MacRumors)