By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 23rd, 2024
The Bloomberg journalist notes that although the Apple mixed-reality headset will be far more advanced, it would be too costly with no ergonomic design for greater adoption.
The world’s largest tech conglomerate Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been reportedly working on a mixed-reality headset which could be its next big bet after many years. Although Apple continues to unveil new iterations of its most-selling tech gadget iPhone, every year, its fans are waiting for something bigger.
Bloomberg’s Apple journalist Mark Gurman recently released information regarding Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset. In his latest newsletter “Power On”, Gurman calls Apple’s headset a technological marvel superior to all other devices currently available in the market.
He notes that some of the top Apple executives believe that the technology would replace iPhone in the future as the company’s hallmark product. Apple has outlined a vision wherein users can wear it all day, anywhere, and everywhere. Besides, it would replace the need to do away with a laptop or even a phone.
However, Gurman writes that the mixed-reality product is still “impractical and too expensive for most consumers”. Apple has touted a price point of $3000 for the headset noting that the first model would offer consumers a taste of that tantalizing vision.
Besides, Gurman also adds that the device lacks a “killer app”. Apple notes that the mixed-reality headset will have immersive video capabilities, and integration with other Apple products, as well as provide realistic Facetime VR calls to appeal to the customers. “I’m skeptical that the approach will be enough,” Gurman writes.
Apple’s Mixed-Reality Headset Coming in 2023
Gurman notes that Apple’s mixed-reality headset dubbed Reality Pro shall launch this year in 2023. It will come with dual 4K displays with a flexible OLED screen on the front that shows a user’s eye.
Besides, the mixed-reality headset will have over a dozen cameras to analyze the wearer’s body, eye movements, as well as the external environment. “It will undoubtedly be a marvel and far more advanced than anything else on the market. But it will also be impractical and too expensive for most consumers,” adds Gurman.
As per the analyst, the Apple Reality Pro headsets will last for only two hours per charge. Besides, it might come with a limited array of content and not-so ergonomic design. Apple is planning to produce 1 million mixed-reality headsets in the first year of launch being one of Apple’s lowest-volume categories.
Gurman added that the mixed reality headset doesn’t offer anything significant from other Apple products. “I don’t think there are many consumers willing to pay $3,000 for that. That’s five times the cost of the original iPhone,” he added.
Other players like Microsoft and Meta have also tried to push similar devices in the market but didn’t find much success. Gurman notes that consumers aren’t willing to transition to the use of AR/VR headsets with demand being very low. However, he adds that “if Apple can ever release true AR glasses – with the price, features and battery life of an iPhone – that will probably change the technology landscape in the same way its previous breakthroughs did”.