Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet thread today that ongoing delays with development of Apple's mixed-reality headset have likely pushed mass shipment of the device back to the end of the second quarter or into the third quarter of this year.
Concept render by As a result, Apple probably will not hold a January event to introduce the device as Kuo had predicted last June. Kuo now believes it is "more likely" the headset will be introduced at a spring media event or at WWDC in June.
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As a result, it is increasingly unlikely that Apple will hold a media event for the new device in January. At this point, it seems more likely that Apple will announce the AR/MR headset at a spring media event or WWDC based on the current development progress. — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 6, 2023
Kuo says the development delays with the headset currently stem from "issues with mechanical drop testing and the availability of software development tools."
An extensive report from The Information earlier this week detailed a long list of features for the long-rumored device, including a Digital Crown-like dial for transitioning between virtual and physical view modes and potentially a waist-mounted battery pack.
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If we know anything about Apple, nobody outside of senior VPs and the industrial design team have seen the finished product of this major new category for Apple. This is the company that gave its own employees an iPhone sealed in a metal box ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/17/iphone-security-case-passport-photos/') and an Apple Watch disguised as an iPod nano in a case:
This is doubly relevant because we know with near certainty that Apple is going to launch these glasses in two stages like they did the iPhone and Apple Watch: a product reveal teaser at WWDC or a dedicated event, inviting developers to begin producing apps and then months later, a full unveiling ahead of pre-orders. We know that the glasses aren't in production yet (it's impossible to contain thousands of assembly workers), which makes it near impossible that anyone outside of Tim Cook's inner circle will be able to leak the finished device.
First generation devices are fairly easy to keep secret. Just don't show anyone outside of those who need to know what the finished product is going to look like. It gets much harder when each update has to be produced and manufactured on an annual cycle and manufacturing drawings, molds and even components get out. As a new category, this is the former.
I've worn ski goggles. To ski. When it's cold outside.
But I can't imagine wearing something like that indoors. For hours a day.
I'm genuinely curious to see how this next phase of computing will shape up.
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