Apple VR Headset May Get Delayed Further Due To Software Issues – Gizbot News

There have been strong rumors about a mixed reality headset from Apple for quite some time, which will reportedly be the company’s marquee offering in the coming years as the world gets used to the technology. The device was supposed to go for mass shipments by Q2 2023, but according to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the headset will likely ship in the second half of 2023.

Apple VR: Software Woes Delay Apple VR Headset

The shipments of the rumored Apple mixed reality headset is still expected to begin in the first half of the year, but the volumes will not be as high as previously estimated, Kuo said in a series of tweets. This is primarily due to software-related issues, indicating that while the hardware orders are in place, Apple could be taking time to work on the interface and operating system for the headset.

We had previously reported that Apple plans to ship 1.5 million units of the face-mounted device in 2023 at a price of up to $2000 (roughly ₹1,64,500). He said that Apple is planning for a January 2023 launch and the device has already been presented to the company’s board members.

Optics Industry Will Be Affected, Shipments Cut in Half

Because of the delay owing to software issues, Kuo now predicts that it will impact the optics industry in the near term, as major suppliers for the headset including Largan for the lens, Pancake and Cowell Electronics for the camera module and Primus for the eye tracking module will be impacted.

Kuo said Apple now plans to ship less than 500,000 units of the headset, as opposed to previous market consensus of 800,000-1,200,000 units. He’s not sure if this will impact the planned January 2023 launch event, but if the gap between launch and mass shipment is too long, it tends to be detrimental for sales and promotions.

Headset Will Support Both VR and AR Capabilities

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the operating system powering the mixed reality headset has been internally renamed to “xrOS”, dropping the previous “realityOS” title. The XR in the name stands for extended reality, indicating that the headset will offer both VR and AR capabilities.

The mixed reality headset is expected to be equipped with multiple advanced cameras, 8K displays for each eye, along with hand tracking and more.