Apple to Unveil Highly Anticipated Mixed Reality Headset at WWDC 2023

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Midjourney / DALL-E 2 prompted by MIXED

It has been a long time since the rumors about Apple’s Mixed Reality Headset started to spread. As per the rumors, and some insider info, Apple’s approach to augmented and virtual reality technology, has been in development for years and went through some reboots and delays. Now, it seems that the product is finally ready for release. Recent reports suggest that Apple will showcase its new tech during the WWDC. The next edition of the firm’s developer conference will take place in June. Now, the renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seems to believe that Apple is “well prepared” to unveil its new product.

Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple’s Mixed Reality Headset announcement is “highly likely” on the way

As per Kuo, the announcement is “highly likely”. Worth noting, that this is a change from Kuo’s previous thoughts. Earlier this year, the analyst said that Apple had pushed back production for Q3 2023. For that reason, it would not come in time for the WWDC. However, something seems to have changed, as the analyst is now highly optimistic about the event.

Extended Reality Headset Concept

In a small report posted to Medium on Monday (15), Kuo wrote that the headset’s announcement next month “bodes well” for the supply chain’s share price. The analyst even mentioned five of the device’s components that have the “most expensive material costs” in his view.

In short, the components include 4K micro-OLED panels, dual M2-based processors, headset casing, 12 optical cameras for motion tracking, and an external power supply. Specifically, these components come from Sony, TSMC, Everwin Precision, Cowell, and Goretek.

A product not meant for the general consumer

While pricing remains unconfirmed, industry experts predict that the product will be priced at around $3,000. With that price, the device definitively is not for the general public, but that may change in the future. Anyway, we still don’t know with certainty what Apple has in tow for this product. Perhaps it can attract millions of fans to this new product genre. Anyway, Apple is not aiming directly at the general consumer. For now, the product is aimed at developers, content creators, and professionals – I would also add “enthusiasts” with enough money to burn. The rumors also say that Apple expects to sell just one headset per day per retail store. It has told suppliers that it expects sales of 7 to 10 million units during the first year of availability. Until confirmed otherwise, these details should be considered as rumors.

Will Apple make the “metaverse” concept a must?

“The concept of the ‘metaverse,’ which involves virtual reality products, is still in its early stages. We don’t see a huge demand from the general public, which is not yet very attracted to this kind of product. Meta invested heavily in the ‘metaverse’ but experienced significant losses. Hope never dies, tough. However, Apple certainly has a very good track record when it comes to debuting new technologies. The company introduced the iPhone and changed the world, introduced the iPad, and also changed the world. Perhaps Apple’s mixed reality headset will finally give this segment the push it needs.

The WWDC conference is scheduled for June 5. As per the rumors, Apple will finally demonstrate the product at this event. It’s worth noting that all information related to this product is based on rumors. Apple didn’t publicly mention it. Everything we got is from insiders, analysts, and some lucky people that managed to get in touch with the device.

Earlier on Monday, Palmer Luckey shared a tweet that said “The Apple Headset is so good”. He did not give more details about it, but this was enough to bring some optimism to Apple enthusiasts. For those who don’t know, Luckey is the founder of Oculus, the company behind the original Oculus Rift VR in 2012. He basically revived the VR segment with the Oculus VR. In 2014, Meta acquired Oculus, but still, Luckey is one of the most important names when we think about this category.

Apple’s Mixed Reality Headset Rumored Features

Right now, there is no official info on the specs of Apple’s Mixed Reality headset. However, most of the rumors suggest the use of 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. In total, the device would be able to deliver 8K of resolution. Sony is the main supplier, but some Samsung displays could also be used. This would be one of the first and most important uses for the micro OLED tech. The new tech delivers thinner, smaller, and more power-efficient displays. Due to this display’s faster microseconds response time, it’s perfectly suitable for AR and VR applications.

In terms of hardware, the headset is rumored to come with two Apple M2 processors with a dedicated ISP. The chips will stick with the 5nm standard and will be full-fledged. In other words, the headset will have everything from CPU, GPU, Memory, and ISP to handle all needed tasks. You won’t need an iPhone or Mac to run this device, the rumors say it will be a fully-fledged product.

Introducing the new xrOS

The rumors also say that Apple will bring an all-new software with the headset. Joining iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS, there will be a new cross. It stands for “extended reality”. To those unaware, the term represents both augmented and virtual reality functions supported by the product. The name has been confirmed by internal Apple sources, and Apple has been trademarking the xrOS through a hidden shell company. Curiously, the product was rumored to run “Reality OS” or “rOS”. However, in the latest developments, the company decided to update the name to “xrOS”. Maybe, because it sounds less generic?

A new xrOS coming with Apple’s Extended Reality Headset.

The headset will pack a myriad of cameras and will not rely on any kind of input controller. The optical cameras will track hand movements, map the environment, and capture facial features and body movements. Each eye will be tracked by at least one camera, letting the headset accurately show the user’s gaze on an avatar. The cameras will also monitor your hand movements, and you will be able to perform commands with them. As per the rumors, the headset will be able to map surfaces, edges, and dimensions of rooms with accuracy, employing short and long-range LiDAR scanners to do so.

The device is promising to be a revolutionary tech. For now, we will need to wait and see if all these rumors will be confirmed. For that reason, take these features with a good grain of salt. Thankfully, we don’t need to wait much as the WWDC 2023 is already nearing the shores.