Apple would have postponed its AR / VR headset to 2023

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(Image: Concept by Antonio DeRosa @aderosa75)Much digital ink has already been spilled over Apple’s plans to enter the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) markets with an expensive hybrid headset of its own design. Although the headphones were rumored to arrive in 2022 to allow Apple to establish a beachhead in what many believe will be the next tech revolution, Bloomberg reports that those plans are now being pushed back a bit to give more time. to headphones in the oven.

According to Bloomberg, confidential sources who are not authorized to speak officially said the headset was to be officially unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, with plans to go public later in the year. . However, difficulties have arisen with overheating, on-board cameras and the software that ties it all together, according to these sources. Overcoming these challenges could push the launch back several months, pushing it back to 2023 at the earliest. The report states that Apple originally planned to launch the headset in 2021, so it has been delayed before, despite the company working on it since 2015. Apple also has more than 2,000 employees working on the project, which which is difficult. to probe.

The fact that the project has been delayed several times is not surprising given its scale, according to what has been reported so far. When it finally arrives, the Apple headset will be nothing like what’s on the market right now, both in terms of power and the ecosystem it brings. As we previously reported, Apple plans to equip the device with two of its custom chips; one that will be similar to its M1 processor for general processing, and a second chip for sensor-related tasks, along with a host of on-board cameras to track the user. Apparently the chips originally generated so much heat that they were placed in an external “box” which transmitted to the headphones wirelessly, but this clunky design was shot down by Jony Ive, who was in charge of the design of Apple. Relying on wireless transmission would also have put more strain on the device’s battery life. Bloomberg notes that Apple is also working on an all-new operating system for the device, and it will also come with its own App Store.

Apparently, Apple’s plan is to enter the market with a true next-gen product that will be priced exorbitantly, with it rumored to cost upwards of $2,000. This initial headset, which will enable both AR and VR, won’t need to be tethered to an Apple device, as its internal Apple silicon will do all the processing and somehow stay cool enough to wear. However, it has already been reported that Apple does not want the device to be worn for long periods of time, which is a notable rejection of the idea that it could be used to enter some sort of metaverse. Apple would use the launch of its expensive headset to let the public learn about Apple’s plans for the AR/VR market, and then follow it up with a more accessible (and affordable) product, which could possibly be slimmer. -Low version of AR glasses. Naturally, Apple declined to comment to Bloomberg on its future plans.

All these rumors indicate that the AR/VR market will heat up considerably in the near future, as in addition to Apple, most of the major players have also announced ambitious future plans. Sony has just announced the specs for its second-generation Playstation VR, and they’re a leap forward from the older hardware and software currently in use. Facebook/Meta also discussed an upcoming high-end headset dubbed Project Cambria, which will apparently go hand-in-hand with Apple’s device, and is expected to launch in 2022.

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