Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has announced that Apple is planning to ship approximately 1.5 million units of its upcoming AR/VR headsets in 2023.
According to MacRumors, a research note said that Kuo stated Apple's plan to launch its long-rumored mixed-reality headset in an upcoming event in January 2023.
Apple's AR/VR Headsets Ready for Release in 2023
The company's first AR/VR headset is considered as a "niche product." The product is expected to be priced between $2,000-2,500, as per 9to5Mac. Because of this, Kuo said that shipment in 2023 is unlikely to exceed 1.5 million units.
Apple showed its AR/VR headset to Apple board members in May. This action indicated that the device is almost in its final stages prior to the launch.
The company have been working on the headset for several years but despite of this, they still encountered recent problems during development. Problems related overheating and performance caused delayed in the launch of the product.
The AR/VR headset is expected to have a chip with the same performance as the M1 Pro in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
More than a dozen of cameras is expected to be included in the headset for tracking hand movements. It is also expected to have two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced eye-tracking technology.
Previous reports about Apple's AR/VR headset said that it will feature an "innovative three-display configuration" with two Micro-OLED panels plus another AMOLED panel. The high-resolution displays are expected to bring a super-immersive experience.
In addition to a dozen of cameras the device will also have advanced sensors, such as LiDAR scanner to detect the environment including the users' hand gestures.
Kuo also believes that the headset will have an advanced eye tracking, iris recognition, voice control, skin detection, and facial expression detection.
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AR/VR Headset is Expected to be Apple's Next Revolutionary Electronics Product
According to 9to5Mac, Kuo believes that AR/VR headset will be Apple's "next revolutionary consumer electronics product after the iPhone."
As previous reports already mentioned, the headset is expected to be expensive due to its complexity and high-end hardware. Furthermore, Kuo said that a higher price will affect shipment.
As per 9to5Mac, the AR/VR headset's announcement will highlight three main points, which include use cases, software/service/development ecosystem, and hardware specification details.
Kuo noted that investors will be less concerned about low shipments of the headset in 2023 if only Apple can convince them that the product can get rapid growth in the following years.
Apple is Preparing a Second-Generation Version of the AR/VR headset
Accordingly, Apple is already developing the second-generation version of its AR/VR headset. Kuo said that the new model of the headset will be released in the first half of 2025, together with a more affordable model.
As per 9to5Mac, Apple is reportedly talking to its suppliers as the company is already working on the development of its second generation of its AR/VR headset.
Kuo, however, noted that the second generation of Apple's AR/VR headset will be released in two different models. One of the new headsets will be an upgrade of the first-generation headset while the second one will be a more affordable model.
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