Apple AR/VR headset launch may be delayed: Know why

 

• Noting that the shipment schedule of the Apple AR/VR headset has been delayed, Kuo says the device is experiencing some software issues.

Apple has been working on an Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) headset for some time now. The device was expected to go into mass shipment by the second quarter of 2023. Apple's AR/VR headset is now expected to arrive in the second half of 2023, according to supply chain data analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst shared this information in a series. The number of posts on the microblogging site Twitter.

Stating that the shipment schedule of the Apple AR/VR headset has been delayed, he says that the device is facing some software-related issues.

Last week, a Bloomberg report said that Apple has changed the name of the operating system of the AR/VR headset to 'xrOS' from the previously reported 'RealityOS'. Here 'xr' stands for 'extended reality'. According to the report, the change was made internally in recent weeks. According to Kuo, changes and bugs in xrOS have forced Apple to delay mass shipments of its headset until the second half of 2023.

"My latest survey indicates that Apple's MR headset mass shipment schedule may be delayed to 2H23 due to software-related issues (vs. previous estimate of 2Q23)," Kuo said in one of his tweets.

It is important to note here that delay in mass shipments does not mean delay in announcement of the device. It is likely that Apple may launch the AR/VR headset months before its availability. But, this can be 'detrimental to publicity and sales', says Kuo.

“It still needs to be determined whether the media event schedule (previously estimated in January 2023) will also be delayed, but generally, if the time frame between the media event and end product mass shipment is too long, this promotion and harmful to sales. ,


In his post, Kuo also predicted that the Cupertino-based company may end up shipping less than 500,000 units of its AR/VR headsets in 2023. This is lower than the market consensus of 800,000 to 1.2 million units. Apple's AR/VR headset is said to be the next important growth driver for the optical industry. The market expects it to be the spotlight in the optical industry's low season.