Apple’s first hardware entry in the mixed reality market is reportedly making its debut at WWDC. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the Apple Reality Pro (as it’s been referred to) will finally be unveiled during Apple’s developer conference in June. This marks a rough two-month delay from its rumored April launch date, which was the result of numerous other delays that stem back to last June.
The reason for the most recent delay seems to be a mix of technical issues, both in hardware and software. It’s a hard product to pull off, after all: Apple isn’t simply making a VR headset, but one that can blend virtual and augmented reality experiences with advanced head and hand tracking, numerous cameras and sensors, an M2 chip for processing, and its own operating system called “realityOS.” Apple wants to maximize the amount of development time it has before it needs to ship the device, and an extra two months could be the difference between a complete flop of a product and one that’s able to impress the masses.
Granted, the Reality Pro won’t be geared toward the masses. Rumors have said time and time again that Apple will charge around $3,000 for the headset, which will limit its potential reach right off the bat. Cheaper headsets will be offered down the line, but for Apple’s initial offering in the space, it’s taking an ultra-premium approach.
WWDC 2023 is expected to host a number of major developer-centric announcements including new versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Unveiling the headset during the show could not only help incentivize developers to start working on new mixed reality experiences, but also demonstrate to the public its advanced technologies and set expectations for how many people will actually buy it once it goes on sale.
You must log in to post a comment.