WWDC 2023 kicks off in less than a month, and most observers expect Apple to unveil its long-anticipated “Reality Pro” AR/VR headset at the event. Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Monday that the headset announcement is “highly likely” and that Apple is “well prepared” for the unveiling. (Via MacRumors)
Previously, Ku said the headset’s debut will be the “last hope” for convincing investors that the device will sell. He had also said that the Cupertino firm had pushed back production for the headset to the third quarter of 2023 and that the headset might not debut at WWDC. However, it appears as if the analyst no longer believes that will happen.
In a report on Medium on Monday, Kuo said that the AR/VR headset’s announcement next month “bodes well” for the supply chain share price. The analyst touched on five of the device’s components that, not including assembly, represent its “most expensive material costs.”
The components mentioned by Kuo include the headset’s 4K micro-OLED displays, its dual M2-based processors, its casing, the 12 optical cameras used to track hand movements, and the headset’s external power supply. The components are being supplied by (in component order) Sony, TSMC, Everwin Precision, Cowell, and Goretek.
Apple is expected to price the headset starting at somewhere around $3,000. This indicates that Apple likely won’t aim the device at general consumers at first, but will instead aim it at content creators, developers, and other professionals. Apple has expectations of selling a single headset per day per retail store. The iPhone maker has informed suppliers that it expects to sell seven to 10 million units during the device’s first year of sale.
Apple is expected to finally confirm the existence of the AR/VR headset, perhaps also revealing a date when we can expect the headset to go on sale. It’s been reported that some non-Apple employees may have gotten a peek at the device, as Palmer Luckey tweeted on Sunday that “The Apple headset is so good,” without further elaborating. Luckey founded Oculus, which produced the original Oculus Rift VR hardware in 2012. Meta acquired Oculus in 2014.
Kuo has previously said there is “insufficient evidence” to indicate that AR/VR headsets can become the next major thing in consumer electronics. Kuo pointed to Sony’s pulling back on production plans for the PS VR2 and also cited estimated 300,000 product lifecycle shipments for the Meta Quest Pro as evidence that AR/VR headsets may not be the next major thing in the consumer electronics marketplace.
There have been several reports of observers’ growing skepticism that Apple will offer a product that people will actually buy. In March, The New York Times reported that Apple employees were concerned about the device’s price point headset and whether it is a “solution in search of a problem,” and whether it is “driven by the same clarity” as other Apple devices.