Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the headset could arrive in the second half of 2023
Apple has been working on a mixed reality (MR) headset for quite some time, and we’ve seen several leaks and rumors about the product over the past few months. In June this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that the headphones could finally hit the market early next year, with mass shipments to follow in the second quarter of 2023. However, In a recent series of tweets, Kuo has now revealed that the headset may suffer a significant delay due to “software-related issues”.
According to Kuo’s latest survey, mass shipping of Apple’s MR headphones may not begin until the second half of 2023 due to unspecified software issues. As a result, total headset shipments in 2023 could fall from the previous market consensus of 800,000 to 1.2 million units to less than 500,000 units.
It is currently unclear whether Apple will postpone its rumored January 2023 media event for the headphones due to the shipping delay. But Kuo speculates that Apple could delay the event because “if the time period between the media event and the mass shipment of the final product is too long, it is detrimental to promotion and sales.”
Although Apple has not officially released any information about its mixed reality so far, leaks suggest that the company has already shown the product to executives and board members behind closed doors. We’ve also learned that the headset will likely include iris scanning for biometric authentication, foveated rendering, a uniquely designed aluminum and glass construction, and multiple cameras.
Are you waiting for Apple’s MR headphones? Do you think it will be better or worse than the recently released Meta Quest Pro? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.