Oliver Haslam on January 6, 2023, 1:39 pm

Apple’s AR/VR Headset Might Not Launch As Soon As Expected

Apple’s oft-rumored AR/VR headset might not be getting a release as soon as some had hoped, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggesting that it won’t even be announced until spring.

The AR/VR headset has reportedly experienced various delays during its design and development in recent years but it’s now thought that development is further behind schedule thanks to issues “with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools”.

There had been some hope that Apple would announce the new headset during its WWDC event, likely to take place in June. That’s still possible of course, with Apple announcing the product ahead of a now-rumored third quarter release.

Announcing the AR/VR headset ahead of availability would give developers the time needed to get apps ready for the new platform. However, the previously-rumored January event seems unlikely given the extremely long lead time before that third-quarter release. It isn’t out of the question, however — Apple announced the Apple Watch in September 2014 before making it available to buy in April of the following year.

That ensured that developers were able to fill the App Store with apps ahead of time, but it isn’t clear whether Apple would want to follow the same playbook with this new platform.

The AR/VR headset is expected to cost around $3,000 when it eventually arrives thanks to the use of two 4K displays, multiple cameras, and as many as two Mac-like CPUs.