Apple is aiming to announce a mixed-reality headset at an in-person event sometime in the "next several months," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
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In a newsletter outlining the possible future of the company's WWDC conference taking place in an in-person format, Gurman says that Apple aims to release a mixed-reality headset, the first major new device since 2015, at an in-person sometime in the "next several months." Apple last held an in-person event in September of 2019. All events since have been held digitally due to the global health crisis.
Sometime in the next several months, the company is poised to announce a mixed reality headset, its first major new device since 2015. If possible, Apple won't want to make such a critical announcement at an online event. It wants employees, the media, its partners and developers in the room.
Bloomberg has previously reported that Apple's first AR/VR headset will be a high-end, pricey, and "niche" device aimed at developers. Internally, Apple believes it could sell just one headset per day at its retail locations. If the expectation comes true, it will sell just around 180,000 units a year at its 500 stores.
Bloomberg has previously stated that Apple is aiming for a product launch as soon as next year. Given today's new information, Apple may preannounce the headset to give developers time to prepare for the new VR experience. Apple made a similar move with its announcement of Apple Silicon for the Mac, in which it announced the transition at WWDC in June, months before it released the first Macs with its own chip in order to give developers time to prepare their apps.
The headset is rumored to include dual 8K displays, eye-tracking, and more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements. The headset would be a direct competitor to others already on the market, such as Facebook's Oculus Rift, which has largely been used for gaming.
After the initial headset, Apple's planning to release a more mainstream augmented reality product. According to Bloomberg, that product, informally dubbed Apple Glasses, is still "several years away," however. For everything we know about Apple's AR/VR plans, head over to our dedicated roundup.
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