A report on Friday claims that the Apple headset launch could be pushed until the end of 2022 or later. The devices faces overheating and issues with the cameras and software (via Bloomberg).
Apple Headset Delayed
According to sources, Apple had originally planned to launch the device in 2021 and ship it in 2022. The delay could be an announcement at the end of 2022 with a product launch in 2023. It’s been in development since 2015 and would be the “first of many headsets.” Instead of augmented reality “Apple Glasses” or a virtual reality device, this Apple headset would combine the two. The AR-only glasses are still rumored to appear later this decade.
The overheating problem comes from “high-end chips” normally limited to professional or gaming laptops. Two chips are planned for the Apple headset with at least one on par with the M1 Pro chip.
In February 2021 a rumor surfaced claiming that this mixed reality device could cost as much as US$3,000.
A mixed-reality headset Apple is developing will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements and showing video of the real world to people wearing it, along with ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced technology for tracking eye-tracking technology.
The inclusion of two 8K displays in the headset would make its picture quality far higher than that of other consumer headsets – and even the majority of high-end televisions, which cost thousands of dollars at 8K resolution.
Plans for the Apple headset also include its own App Store, with Apple pushing developers at WWDC23 to create AR and VR apps. iOS 16 will also have support for the device, and it will have it’s own OS called rOS, likely standing for “reality OS.”