Apple to delay AR glasses and focus on mixed reality headset - ZDNet

Apple is inactive expected to merchandise a mixed world headset this year, but method issues person forced the tech elephantine to shelve plans for the possibly much important lightweight augmented world glasses that were expected later. 

Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that Apple had indefinitely delayed enactment connected the long-rumored AR glasses and pared backmost the scope of the project. Apple volition alternatively people 2024 for the merchandise of its lower-cost -- but inactive apt costly -- mixed world headset. 

While the mixed-reality headset is expected to outgo astir $3,000, Bloomberg reports Apple is readying to travel up with a little outgo mixed world headset priced astir $1,500. 

Apple-focused proviso concatenation expert Ming-Chi Kuo in December estimated Apple would vessel its mixed world headset successful the 2nd fractional of 2023 alternatively than the 2nd quarter, citing software-related issues for the delay. 

Also: Apple's VR/AR headset is coming. Here's everything we cognize truthful far

The mixed world headset combines elements of augment world and virtual reality, with components including eyeball tracking, aggregate cameras, pancake optics, and lenses. AR users spot the satellite done a lens that is overlaid with integer images and data. VR connected the different hand, specified arsenic Meta's Oculus, encloses users successful a integer world.   

The lightweight AR kit is much similar accepted glasses -- and is smaller and much analyzable to manufacturer.       

Per Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter, Apple had until precocious planned to unveil the headset this month, but has pushed backmost the lawsuit to its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) successful June. But determination was besides speculation past twelvemonth that Apple could instrumentality the wraps disconnected the headset astatine WWDC 2022. 

Apple has applied for assorted AR/VR-related trademarks, including "RealityOS", "Reality One", "Reality Pro", and "Reality Processor". The OS is apt to beryllium called xrOS, portion the instrumentality would beryllium called the Reality Pro. XR stands for eXtended Reality. Apple execs person shunned the connection 'metaverse'. 

The headset is said to tally connected an Apple Mac M2 chip, diagnostic astatine slightest 10 cameras extracurricular and wrong the device, and person precise high-resolution displays.  

Apple has integrated AR features into the iPhone for years, but the AR headset volition beryllium important arsenic it becomes the iPhone maker's archetypal caller hardware class since launching Apple Watch successful 2015.