Apple's MR headset reports that CEO Tim Cook will be released with the designer's ``insufficient preparation'' warning

After about seven years of development, Apple is expected to announce an MR (mixed reality) headset that can experience VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) as early as June 2023. The timing of the launch of this headset has been hotly debated within Apple, and CEO Tim Cook has dismissed objections from the designer team that ``the preparations are still insufficient'' and pressed for a release in 2023, according to the news media Financial. The Times reports.

Tim Cook bets on Apple's mixed-reality headset to secure his legacy | Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/content/86b99549-0648-4c23-ab6e-642a4ba51dff

Report: Apple CEO Tim Cook Ordered Headset Launch Despite Designers Warning It Wasn't Ready - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/12/cook-ordered-headset-launch-despite-warning/

The MR headset, which is said to be under development by Apple, is capable of tracking eye tracking (eye tracking) and hand movement using a camera (hand tracking), and VR / AR that operates iOS-like UI without an external terminal. It is considered a compatible device. It is reported that this MR headset, which is expected to be priced at around $3,000 (about 390,000 yen), may be announced at WWDC in June 2023. The Financial Times expects Apple to narrow down the number of MR headset shipments to about 1 million units in the first year.

Apple's MR headset ``Reality Pro (tentative name)'' may be unveiled at WWDC in June 2023-GIGAZINE

Apple's flagship iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch were all invented under Steve Jobs, who died in 2011. The Financial Times said, ``Apple's market capitalization has grown from about $350 billion (about 47 trillion yen) in 2011 to about $2.4 trillion (about 322 trillion yen) now. It's been accused of repeating past ideas rather than breaking ground.'

And Apple's MR headset will be the first computing platform developed under Cook's leadership. A former Apple engineer involved in the development of the MR headset said, ``The MR headset has been postponed every year for the past few years.Apple employees feel a lot of pressure on the release of the MR headset.'' increase.

It seems that the timing of the release of the MR headset has been discussed since the development project started in early 2016. Apple's operations team had already imagined a ski goggle-type headset and wanted to ship it quickly.

On the other hand, Apple's product design team seems to have stopped the operation team, saying, 'I want to wait for the release until lighter AR glasses are technically feasible.' It was reported in January 2023 that development of this lightweight AR glass was postponed due to technical problems.

It is reported that Apple has postponed the development of lightweight AR glasses due to technical problems, instead an inexpensive MR headset will be released - GIGAZINE

According to the Financial Times, Cook has sided with operations chief Jeff Williams and decided to launch in 2023, overcoming objections from the designer team, who said the technology was 'not ready yet'. He said.

The Financial Times points out that the power of the designer team within Apple is weakening behind Cook's rush to launch the MR headset, ignoring warnings from designers.

At Apple, Jonathan Ive, who has designed products such as iMac and iPhone, served as chief design officer, but Mr. Ive left Apple in 2019 and became independent.

Jonathan Ive, who has worked on the design of iPhone etc., will independently establish a new company 'LoveFrom' - GIGAZINE

After Mr. Ive left, the role of Apple's chief design officer was Evans Hankey for the hardware division and Alan Dye for the software division. However, Mr. Hankey announced in October 2022 that he would 'leave the company within six months' due to the rapid replacement of staff in the design department. When Mr. Jobs was CEO, it was the design team that led the direction of Apple's products, but at the time of writing the article, the design team reports directly to Mr. Williams, the operations chief. That's what I'm talking about.

A former Apple engineer told the Financial Times, ``The best part of working at Apple was devising a solution that would realize the insane demands of the design team with engineering,'' he said. is missing from Apple today.