Apple 'breaks its own strict rules' with its upcoming mixed reality (MR) headset
Apple is rumored to announce
Apple Is Breaking Its Own Rules With a New Headset - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-is-breaking-its-own-rules-with-a-new-headset-80c9b36c
Apple anticipates 'some production issues' for inbound headset
https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/05/13/apple-bracing-for-potential-mixed-reality-headset-production-issues
According to sources, Reality Pro under development by Apple is an MR headset that allows you to enjoy both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) on one terminal. For example, if you are a gamer, you can immerse yourself in the game world through the screen of the MR headset. In addition, since the terminal is equipped with a camera to capture the surrounding environment, the user can also recognize the real world wearing a headset.
Is Apple's MR headset 'Reality Pro (tentative name)' equipped with gaze and hand movement tracking, 3D iOS-like UI, Mac external display function, etc. - GIGAZINE
Apple engineers and executives have spent months preparing a presentation to demonstrate Reality Pro at WWDC, the annual developer conference scheduled to be held in June 2023. However, according to sources familiar with Apple's supply chain, Reality Pro will be delivered to users ``around the fall of 2023 at the earliest''.
Also, a person familiar with Apple's product development said, ``Some Apple employees and suppliers need to delay product development considering integrating MR headsets with new software and introducing them to the wider market. Some people doubt that there is, ”he said, revealing that there are voices skeptical about the completion of Reality Pro within the company. As a result, the Wall Street Journal pointed out that 'Apple's MR headset release schedule is likely to change.'
Regarding Apple's Reality Pro, The Wall Street Journal said, ``In contrast to other Apple products, where the product is released to the world in its entirety, the Reality Pro is an interim introduction to the market of an unfinished product. It is,' he pointed out. One of the reasons for pointing out Reality Pro as an ``unfinished product'' is that the device is not integrated with the battery, and is rumored to be designed to be connected to the main body with a wired cable. It's because In this regard, the Wall Street Journal points out that 'one of the major concessions in design that does not conform to the typical 'sophisticated minimal product design' of Apple products.'
Report that Apple's MR headset uses a removable battery by connecting it with a cable & adopts a USB-C port for data transfer - GIGAZINE
In addition, the Wall Street Journal points out that the selling price of Reality Pro is expected to be about $ 3,000 (about 400,000 yen), ``It is a price that many consumers cannot afford.'' In addition, it is reported that Apple has already predicted that problems will occur during production of Reality Pro.
According to Apple executives and technology analysts, the company feels it is spending too much time 'developing the ideal MR headset' and competitors have already released multiple products. , Considering that a large amount of money has already been invested in the development of the MR headset, it seems that it has decided that 'the launch of the MR headset cannot be postponed any further.'
Some investors and others seem to be skeptical about whether consumers will spend money and time on Metaverse using VR headsets and MR headsets. It has also been pointed out that some early adopters are disillusioned with the technology.
Also, regarding Meta, which has released multiple VR headsets and is working hard to build its own metaverse, ``I am struggling to maintain sales of the latest VR headsets,'' the Wall Street Journal pointed out. Although Disney was also promoting its own metaverse strategy, it has become clear that this division has been closed. Microsoft closed the social virtual reality platform it acquired in 2017 and dissolved the headset manufacturing team that was developing it as part of a project with the US military. As you can see from the above example, the market that Apple is trying to enter is a tough market that cannot be said to be a market that continues to grow stably.
However, Apple has a track record of defying public skepticism and getting its products to consumers quickly. Before the iPod, the digital music player market was tiny, and before the iPhone, the smartphone market was clunky with physical keyboards. Furthermore, the wearable terminal market before the appearance of the Apple Watch was also a niche market that was not of much interest to anyone other than those working in the high-tech industry. However, both markets are expanding rapidly with Apple's entry.
Some industry insiders expect Apple's MR headsets to have the potential to revitalize the entire metaverse-related market. Some people who have tried Apple's MR headset say that its performance far exceeds other companies' products, giving them a higher level of performance and immersion.
``There is still a lack of killer apps other than games in VR for the masses,'' said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC. The iPod had music, and the iPhone had a digital camera, telephone function, web browser function, etc., but it is still unclear what kind of application will stimulate the user's willingness to purchase with the MR headset. That's why.
According to sources, mass production of Apple's MR headset is expected after September 2023 due to manufacturing delays. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is familiar with Apple-related information, estimates that the number of shipments in 2023 will be around 200,000 to 300,000 units, which is much higher than the first-year production of the iPhone and early Apple Watch models. is a very small number.
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in Hardware, Posted by logu_ii