Apple is about to introduce its personal blended actuality headset in the course of the WWDC 2023 keynote in June. Whereas rumors about this product have been swirling for years, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says this occasion will probably be Apple’s “final hope” for convincing buyers that its blended actuality headset may have an opportunity to be the following “star product” in client electronics.
In keeping with Kuo, “the present market consensus might overestimate AR/VR headset units’ contribution to key element suppliers over the following few years, notably within the optical associated.” The analyst states that there’s at present “inadequate proof” to counsel that AR/VR headsets can turn into the following star product in client electronics “within the foreseeable future” for any firm.
Moreover Apple’s long-rumored blended actuality headset, there are different gamers out there with AR/VR headsets – they usually’re all struggling. Kuo provides three completely different examples:
- The recently-announced PS VR2 barely began promoting, and Sony has lower its 2023 manufacturing plan by about 20%;
- The product lifecycle cargo for Meta Quest Professional is barely round 300,000 items;
- Pico’s (China’s largest AR/VR headset model) shipments in 2022 have been greater than 40% decrease than anticipated.
With that, why would Apple be the one having success with its blended actuality headset? Present rumors present the gadget will probably be very costly (round $3,000-4,000), its battery will solely final a few hours, and a few of its most attention-grabbing options might not work as anticipated with the primary iterations of its software program.
Though lets say the identical concerning the first iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, neither of those units (regardless of the Apple Watch being made from gold) value that a lot whereas delivering an identical expertise that customers can already do on different platforms.
Up to now, the important thing rumored options of this headset are digital actuality FaceTime, in-air typing, and an immersive video-watching expertise.
In two months, we’d uncover if that will probably be sufficient for Apple to name this its subsequent star product.
