Apple hires Meta AR comms chief for its rumored headset launch

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Apple’s first AR/VR headset might look like ski goggles
Information supposedly leaking from Apple indicates the Apple AR/VR headset will look a lot like this.
Photo: RendersByIan

Apple reportedly hired Meta’s AR communications chief recently, a move that fits with Cupertino’s long-rumored plan to launch an augmented reality/virtual reality headset.

Observers expect Apple to unveil its mixed-reality headset sometime in 2022. And, according to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple is forming a team to handle the hardware’s launch and marketing. Part of this appears to be the hiring of Andrea Schubert, chief of communications and public relations for AR at Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.

No confirmation yet

While it seems possible Apple snagged the Meta employee to promote its own product, there is yet to be any confirmation of the hiring. In one example that may or may not mean much, Schubert’s LinkedIn page still states she works for Meta full-time as “Director of Communications, Augmented Reality & Research at Reality Labs.”

Considering Apple’s secretive nature, and high competition in the AR market, it would not be surprising if Cupertino kept a key hire like this under wraps prior to a product launch.

Schubert’s previous work at Oculus

Previously, Schubert served as communications manager of Oculus, the VR headset producer bought by Facebook and now merged into Meta. She also had a five-year stint as a director for The OutCast Agency. There she managed PR for major clients, including Facebook and Oculus. She also served as a senior account executive at Shift Communications.

Apple’s first VR headset is rumored to be a standalone device that provides a mixed-reality experience using cameras. The headset may have an Apple Watch-like glass enclosure, AirPods Max-style padding and a lidar sensor system to track a user’s hands, rather than using a controller. It reportedly will include two chips — one powerful main processor and a second to control the device’s numerous sensors.

Rumors put the price of the headset between $1,000 and $3,000.

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