Apple is rumoured to be working on a headset that combines AR and VR capabilities, and it may launch at WWDC this June
There have been plenty of rumours over the years detailing VR headsets, AR headsets, and AR glasses, so what exactly has Apple got planned for its augmented reality future? The bevvy of rumours, leaks, acquisitions, and new hires at Apple suggest that it could be a combination of all three, possibly due for release over a number of years.
The company reportedly has multiple headset prototypes on the go, focused not only on augmented reality but virtual reality too.
The end game for Apple is expected to be a fully-fledged pair of augmented reality glasses which we’ve covered separately, though online whispers say the true AR glasses have been shelved indefinitely in favour of a cheaper AR/VR headset.
The solution, according to various sources, could be an AR/VR hybrid headset similar to the Meta Quest 2, due for release in the not-so-far future. Here’s all you need to know about Apple’s foray into the world of AR/VR headsets, including the latest leaks and a possible release window.When will the Apple AR/VR headset be released?
Apple’s headset was probably meant to be out by now, but has been delayed a few times. Bloomberg suggests that while Apple had originally planned to announce the headset at WWDC 2022, “development challenges related to overheating, cameras and software have made it harder to stay on track”.
It’s widely expected that instead Apple will reveal the hardware at this year’s WWDC 2023, which has now been confirmed to begin with a keynote presentation on 5 June. Even the event teaser seems to hint at virtual reality, with the curved lines emanating from a single point certainly suggesting the curved display of a headset.
Gurman has previously reported for Bloomberg that the headset will appear at WWDC 2023, after Apple scrapped plans for a dedicated headset launch event in April this year. He says that a group of Apple’s top executives have already been shown a “polished” preview of the headset, suggesting it’s nearly ready for a public unveiling, and even Oculus founder Palmer Luckey seems to have had the chance to try it out.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously been sceptical of a WWDC appearance this year, but in May even he reported that it is “highly likely that Apple will announce its long-awaited AR/MR headset at the WWDC in June.”
What’s less clear is when it will actually go on sale. Kuo has previously reported that the headset could “launch alongside iPhone 15 in 3Q23″ – most likely meaning September, the usual iPhone launch month – while the Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple is “anticipating production issues” and that the headset will go on sale late this year, with mass production not even beginning until December.What will the AR/VR headset be called?
While the majority of rumours about Apple’s upcoming hybrid headset have referenced it by its function – an AR/VR headset – a recent batch of trademark applications suggests Apple could’ve finally decided on a name.
As first spotted by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, a swathe of trademark applications have been filed in a number of countries including the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Uruguay, all with the theme of ‘Reality’. Applications include references to Reality One, Reality Pro and Reality Processor. Gurman himself has taken to calling the headset Reality Pro, which suggests this may be the most likely name.
Reports also suggest that Apple will name the software that’ll run on the headset ‘realityOS’. That was backed up by a separate discovery of a realityOS trademark in early June 2022, which falls under the categories of peripherals, software and wearable computer hardware.
Of course, this is yet to be confirmed – Apple itself isn’t directly associated with the trademark filings – but it’s not unusual for the tech giant to use law firms and shell corporations to cover some of the pre-launch work that has to be done. How much will the Apple AR/VR headset cost?
When it comes to Apple’s initial AR/VR offering, Bloomberg suggests that the headset will be a “pricey, niche” option that is expected to be much more expensive than existing standalone VR headsets, which currently range from the £399/$399 Meta Quest 2 to the likes of the more advanced $1,499/£1,499 Meta Quest Pro.
As we’ve gotten closer to launch, Bloomberg and other sites have begun suggesting a rough final price for the headset: $3,000.
DSCC also believes that the headset will be a premium offering, expecting “the Apple headset to cost several thousand dollars,” in an early 2022 prediction, suggesting that it’ll be targeted mainly at “professionals and developers to expand Apple’s ecosystem in AR/VR”.
Kuo has gone even higher, tweeting in March 2023 that the headset could cost “USD 3,000-4,000 or even higher,” and that the high cost is part of why Apple execs are pessimistic about the headset’s mass market prospects and have slashed production targets to just 200,000-300,000 units for 2023.
The saving grace is that according to Bloomberg Apple could be working on a much cheaper headset for release sometime in 2024. Per The Information, Apple allegedly wants to release a more affordable headset, though ‘affordable’ in Apple’s eyes is a price similar to that of the Meta Quest Pro. It’s said to achieve this aim by using lower-tier components than the top-end headset due out this year, with a lower resolution display, less processing power, and maybe even the omission of the H2 low-latency audio chipset.
Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the affordable follow-up is further off though. He reports that Apple is working on a pair of successors, “a high-end and a low-end,” but that they won’t arrive until 2025.What to expect from Apple’s AR/VR headset
Apple’s first dedicated headset will focus not only on augmented reality but virtual reality too, with a plethora of details available courtesy of an early 2021 Bloomberg report and a later article from January 2023.
