Apple to delay AR glasses and focus on mixed reality headset

Apple continues to be anticipated to launch a mixed reality headset this yr, however technical points have compelled the tech large to shelve plans for the maybe extra vital light-weight augmented reality glasses that have been anticipated later. 

Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that Apple had indefinitely delayed work on the long-rumored AR glasses and pared again the scope of the venture. Apple will as a substitute goal 2024 for the discharge of its lower-cost — however nonetheless probably costly — mixed reality headset. 

While the mixed-reality headset is predicted to price round $3,000, Bloomberg studies Apple is planning to observe up with a decrease price mixed reality headset priced round $1,500. 

Apple-focused provide chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in December estimated Apple would ship its mixed reality headset within the second half of 2023 moderately than the second quarter, citing software-related points for the delay. 

Also: Apple’s VR/AR headset is coming. Here’s all the pieces we all know to date

The mixed reality headset combines components of increase reality and digital reality, with elements together with eyeball monitoring, a number of cameras, pancake optics, and lenses. AR customers see the world via a lens that’s overlaid with digital pictures and knowledge. VR on the opposite hand, resembling Meta’s Oculus, encloses customers in a digital world.   

The light-weight AR equipment is extra like conventional glasses — and is smaller and extra advanced to producer.       

Per Mark Gurman’s Power On publication, Apple had till lately deliberate to unveil the headset this month, however has pushed again the occasion to its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. But there was additionally hypothesis final yr that Apple might take the wraps off the headset at WWDC 2022. 

Apple has utilized for numerous AR/VR-related logos, together with “RealityOS”, “Reality One”, “Reality Pro”, and “Reality Processor”. The OS is probably going to be known as xrOS, whereas the gadget can be known as the Reality Pro. XR stands for eXtended Reality. Apple execs have shunned the phrase ‘metaverse’. 

The headset is claimed to run on an Apple Mac M2 chip, characteristic a minimum of 10 cameras outdoors and contained in the gadget, and have very high-resolution shows.  

Apple has built-in AR options into the iPhone for years, however the AR headset will likely be important because it turns into the iPhone maker’s first new {hardware} class since launching Apple Watch in 2015.