Apple VR Headset May Launch in Q1 2022 With LiDAR and $500+ Price Tag [Updated]

Apple's rumored virtual reality (VR) headset may be released as soon as the first quarter of 2022, according to JP Morgan analysis seen by China Times.

Apple VR Feature

The report, spotted by iMore, explains that the "industrial design of Apple's headset will be close to that of other brands of VR headsets." The headset is said to feature six lenses and an optical LiDAR scanner to map the wearer's environment.

Most of the components for the headset will reportedly be manufactured starting in the fourth quarter of 2021. JP Morgan revealed some of Apple's suppliers for the device, such as TSMC for the device's processor, Largan and Genius Electronic Optical for the camera lenses, and Pegatron for assembly. The report also notes that the headset's supply chain is heavily concentrated in Taiwan.

JP Morgan believes that Apple's VR headset will be targeted at the top end of the consumer market, with pricing being "more expensive than VR headsets currently on the market." This is apparently explained by the cost of the device's materials, which "alone may exceed $500." This mirrors Mark Gurman's recent report that stated Apple's VR headset "will be far more expensive than those from rivals" and "on par with other pricey Apple products, such as the $5,999 Mac Pro desktop computer."

Gurman also said that "Apple has planned to launch the product as soon as 2022," which aligns with JP Morgan's first quarter of 2022 prediction.

Separately, JP Morgan also provided some information about Apple's rumored augmented reality (AR) glasses project. Due to the "extremely difficult supply chain management and industrial design specifications," JP Morgan predicts that Apple's glasses are unlikely to launch within the next 12 to 18 months, and that Apple is conscious to make the device "light, beautiful, easy to wear, and able to withstand long-term use." The need for prescription lenses and customization may also be hampering the move toward mass production.

Rumors surrounding Apple's VR headset and AR glasses have been increasing in recent months, with one of the devices said to be moving into the "second phase of development." Bloomberg recently clarified that Apple is planning to launch a virtual reality headset as a "pricey, niche precursor" to a more ambitious AR glasses product that is set to follow at a later date. Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this month that Apple will unveil an unspecified augmented reality device at some point in 2021.

Update: Citing industry sources, DigiTimes is now reporting that Pegatron and Quanta Computer are vying for final assembly orders from Apple for its AR glasses product. Foxconn has reportedly obtained orders for component assembly.

Most recent rumors have centered on Apple's VR headset, which is thought to be much closer to production than its AR glasses, so it is possible that DigiTimes has conflated the two products. Regardless, in view of recent reports, it seems that Apple is focusing on establishing suppliers for its unreleased VR and AR hardware, which suggests that development on the products is continuing at pace.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
kohler toilet sensor

Kohler Launches $600 iPhone-Connected Toilet Camera That Monitors Your Health Through Waste Analysis

Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom. According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...

Top Rated Comments

Mike_Trivisonno Avatar
62 months ago
This will be how most of us get to experience the Apple Car. lol.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-DMN- Avatar
62 months ago
Is this going to be an overpriced niche product like AirPods Max?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iamgalt Avatar
62 months ago
$500+ price tag? Apple charges $1000 for a monitor stand, I'm guessing VR goggles are going to be well over $1000; which I guess, is technically above $500. But still, bad wording for the article title.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
62 months ago
I’ll buy it the second it’s out, I loved oculus but the lens quality wasn’t good so apple would make it so much better
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Le0M Avatar
62 months ago

I don't know about overpriced, but I suspect it'll be an even nichier niche product than AirPods Max. I bet Apple is/will be selling AirPods Max in the millions. After all, most Apple customers listen to music -if only 1% of a billion iPhone users buys them, that's already 10 million units. But VR headsets? Of the 1 billion iPhone users, how many are serious enough game players to have a use for a VR headset? Most iPhone users I know, just play casual games (solitaire, chess, WWF, etc.) or no games at all! Let's just grab 1% out of the air again - so that's 10m units iff every game player is willing to plunk down more money for their VR headset than their iOS device cost them. Not very likely IMHO. Maybe 1-10% would. So that brings down total sales to below a million.
I know I just pulled these numbers out of my ar$e, they're just to illustrate my opinion on relative market sizes.
VR has great potential in professional fields as well. Gaming is just one aspect of its use.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
62 months ago
I'd buy it just for running X-Plane.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)