Apple’s mixed-reality headset will launch later than previously anticipated due to delays surrounding its complex design, an analyst says. Previously expected to enter mass production during the second quarter of 2022, the much-anticipated device’s time line reportedly has been pushed back to late 2022.
Cupertino supposedly wants to deliver a product far better than anything seen in the augmented reality or virtual reality spaces so far. That means pairing a groundbreaking design with high-end specifications and a solid ecosystem of software and services.
Apple’s first headset faces delays
Rumors about Apple’s first headset began cropping up years ago. The device certainly seems more inevitable than the long-rumored Apple car. However, the headset never really felt close to release. That could be because Apple has been working hard to get it right instead of rushing it to market.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has proven incredibly reliable in the past, told investors Tuesday that Apple’s first headset will sport “the best industrial design so far.” Kuo also expects Apple to go all-out on features, adding built-in LiDAR Scanners and 4,000 DPI displays to the device.
The company also plans to position its headset “for various applications,” Kuo wrote in the research note seen by Cult of Mac. That means ensuring that it launches with an ecosystem of software and services that’s ready to go right away — and better than anything the competition can offer.
Mass production set for late 2022
As a result of all these things, Apple’s headset is already facing production problems, Kuo reports. It was originally scheduled to enter mass production during the second quarter of 2022, likely with a late 2022 launch on the cards. However, Kuo says Apple pushed back the start of production to the fourth quarter of next year.
That suggests we won’t see Apple’s mixed-reality headset until 2023 at the earliest. It is possible Apple could announce the device next fall, then make customers wait for it to ship.
If you’re planning to be one of the first to own one, you’d better start saving. Reports indicate the device could cost as much as $3,000.
