The mass shipment of Apple's highly anticipated AR/VR headset may potentially be delayed until the second half of 2023 due to unspecified software-related issues.
This news comes courtesy of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been in contact with Apple's supply chain, which helped him call it right on Apple-linked news.
The Mass Shipment Problem Pushes Back The Distribution Of The Headsets
In a Twitter thread, Kuo shared on Sunday that despite the logistics regarding the shipment, Apple can still unveil the headset in the first half of 2023.
According to Mac Rumors, Kuo has previously noted that the tech giant is unveiling the AR/VR headset in January, which they can start shipping in the second quarter of 2023.
However, due to the delay with the shipment, the headset's January release seems unlikely, and it appears that the launch will happen in June at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
Digital Trends writes that Apple is yet to make an announcement regarding this issue about the headsets, which combines virtual and augmented reality.
The AR/VR headset overlays virtual elements on top of the natural world that lets users have a more improved digital and video imagery.
However, despite the rumored delay in shipment, the tech company is intent on launching the mixed-reality headset in the market soon.
Kuo's latest update on the shipment of Apple's mixed-reality headset comes around after reports that state that the device's operating system has been renamed to "xrOS."
CNet notes that the headsets are expected to be expensive, and it is rumored to be pricier than other VR products like Meta Quest Pro's $1,500 headset.
The Switch xrOS Caused A Mass Delay In Shipment
In a Bloomberg report from last week, Apple was reportedly boosting its work in its headset device by renaming the software it uses based on its accompanying software.
With this, the tech giant changed the operating system's name from realityOS to xrOS to give an emphasis on the headset's mixed reality capabilities.
It is notable that the company opted to use "xr" as a nod to the extended reality offered by the overlaying of augmented and virtual reality through Apple's AR/VR device.
However, 9to5 Mac reports that Kuo pointed out the changes and bugs within the new xrOS system to be the reason for the delay in mass shipment.
It is important to also remember that despite the shipment delay, this does not mean that Apple;s headset will not be announced within next year.
"It still needs to be determined whether the media event schedule will also delay, but usually, if the time frame between the media event and end product mass shipment is too long," Kuo says.
He adds that should the product shipment delay last for too long of a time, it might cause the promotion and sales of Apple.
According to 9to5 Mac, with competition in the market in search of better AR/VR hardware, Apple is continuously testing every feature of the headset.
