Apple is soon stepping into the vast world of mixed reality headsets, which is an emergent technology that combines the best of AR and VR into a single device. A new report by an Asian news site, DigiTimes, claims its sources “hinted” that Apple will soon release the highly-awaited Mixed Reality Headset in the next year.
The production will allegedly commence in March and we may hear an official announcement following in a few months. The initial production is planned to reach numbers as large as 750,000, and the AR/VR Headset is primarily targeted toward the commercial and business niches.
Major Rundown
- Apple is planning to release its Mixed Reality Headset in the second half of next year; the report aligns with all the previous rampant rumors.
- It will allegedly be the most powerful AR/VR Headset in the market, overshadowing all its competitors.
- The Headset is planned to reach production figures of 750,000.
- It will be exclusively manufactured by Pegatron, with mass production commencing in March 2023.
The report by DigiTimes (behind a paywall) dives into the new additions in the already-brewing rumors, revealing Apple’s foray into the AR/VR Headset market in 2023. Pegatron is slated to be the exclusive partner for the Mixed Headset’s final assembly.
Bloomberg earlier reported that the Headset will fall between the $2000 to $3000 price window. In August, a peculiar trademark was also spotted, filed by an Apple-linked company. The trademark had names like “Reality One”, “Reality Pro”, and “Reality Processor”, hinting that the Mixed AR/VR Headset will be branded Apple Reality.
Another report by The Information exclaimed that the AR/VR Headset will be fueled by Apple’s robust M2 chip incorporated in the new MacBooks, making it the most powerful Headset in the market.
The Headset will also evidently feature cutting-edge technologies like leg tracking, hand tracking, face tracking, eye tracking, and iris scanning for logins and payments.
As per the AR/VR Headset’s current status of the manufacturing verification process, the DigiTimes report denotes that mass production will begin in March 2023 with a reveal possibly taking place the next month. The initial production will be limited since the Headset is only targeting commercial markets.
Industry sources stated this XR headset mainly targets the commercial markets. The price is higher and the shipment quantity is limited. Previous estimates said that the annual shipment for this device would reach 2.5 million units. However, right now, rough estimates placed the annual shipment at around 0.7 to 0.8 million units. For supply chain manufacturers that benefit from quantity, this is not a particularly profitable order.“
Despite the lack of sudden profitability, Apple is seeking a long-term goal. Its brand recognition will play a significant part in its initial success. Moreover, the AR/VR Headset’s target audience is quite different from the other competitors like the Quest and other headsets focusing on the gaming industry.
Apple’s manufacturing partners are also willing to team up with Apple on the Mixed Reality Headset to prove their technical capabilities, so they are also selected for future AR/VR products.
The anticipation took quite a blow in the gaming community after the rumored price window was revealed. However, it seems clear that Apple is steering away from the gaming community, unlike its competitors. It appears to be stepping into a more formal market, to penetrate AR/VR Headset’s future potential deeply.
What are your thoughts about Apple’s incursion into the emergent mixed reality Headset market? Do you think that the rumored Headset is too expensive? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.
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