According to Bloomberg, Apple may be delaying its first mixed reality headset.
Several sources have previously stated that the device will likely launch in 2022, and Apple appears ready to unveil its new mixed reality platform to developers at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this June.
The delays are attributed to problems with “overheating, cameras and software”. Similar issues have also reportedly delayed the headset’s release from its original 2021 target.
Please note that this product is not a well-known consumer AR glasses for the mass market, which is scheduled for release several years ahead. Rather, it’s a mixed reality headset (capable of both virtual and augmented reality) that’s expected to cost at least $2,000.
Previous reports have claimed that the device will feature 4K or 8K displays, high-end external cameras, numerous sensors, and multiple chips, at least one of which could be comparable to the M1, if not the M1 Pro, in recent Macs. While the headset may be popular with some consumers, it will likely serve as a development platform that will lay the groundwork for future, more affordable consumer headsets.
The name of the product is not yet known to the general public (if it has been adopted at all), but Bloomberg’s Gurman suggests that it may be called Apple Vision or Apple Reality.
The next AR glasses are rumored to represent a bigger new smartphone computing platform than niche expensive VR glasses. But some of the remaining technological and optical barriers to manufacturing this future product could take years, if ever, to overcome.
Of course, Apple won’t be the first company to introduce a virtual, augmented or mixed reality headset. They’ve been around in various forms for decades, but Meta-owned Oculus has achieved what could be called the first mainstream success for VR, along with Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform and hardcore gamer-focused headsets using the SteamVR platform, such like HTC Vive.
Since the technology is in its infancy, augmented reality glasses have been slower to hit the market, but some have been created by companies like Snap. Until now, however, these devices have had serious limitations, such as an impractically small field of view or battery life measured in minutes rather than hours.